NCJ Number
100381
Date Published
1984
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The threat of terrorists' production of their own videos and audios of terrorist attacks to be distributed to the media presents an ethical dilemma for media managers.
Abstract
Media use the terrorist productions may offer terrorists unlimited opportunities for manipulating the media. Deciding not to use the material raises the issue of the public's right to receive information available to the media. Instead of waiting for 'television' terrorism to become a crisis before reacting, the media should hold seminars to discuss the potential threat. If some guidelines can be established before the problem becomes unmanageable, the media's past errors can be avoided. The media's announcement of guidelines restricting the use of terrorist-produced material could reduce the incentive for terrorists to produce such material. To address the pressure of competition among the media, the media should consider establishing task forces whose members are drawn from the general public and media stockholders. These task forces would public and media stockholders. These task forces would advise the media on their priority preferences when the media decides whether to use terrorist materials. Media policy in this area should be made public. 37 notes.