NCJ Number
98742
Date Published
1984
Length
16 pages
Annotation
A preliminary analysis of the interaction of terrorism, the media, and the police indicates that more research is needed to examine how the media in a democratic society can report terrorism without jeopardizing public safety and obstructing effective police response to terrorist incidents.
Abstract
A review of current analyses of terrorism demonstrates that terrorists use their attacks to manipulate the media for predetermined ends. Competition among the media for profit in turn makes them vulnerable to such manipulation. Research into media effects shows that extensive coverage of terrorist incidents can elicit sympathy for terrorist causes and attract those with neurotic needs for attention to imitate terrorists' violent acts. The media have occasionally been found to help the authorities in managing terrorist incidents while maintaining their responsibility to inform the public about the incidents; however, the media often hinder the work of police in ways that jeopardize the lives of terrorists' hostages. Given the nature and complexity of modern terrorism, the determination of a proper role for the media in dealing with terrorist events should not be left to their judgment alone; nor should police agencies unilaterally develop policies for managing the media. Research is required as a base for police-media cooperation in developing media reporting policies. Research should first provide a multidisciplinary data base of past research and then examine the outcomes of specific terrorist incidents as they have been affected by police-media interaction. Finally, tested models of police-media management of terrorist incidents must be developed. Forty-three footnotes are provided.