Mass Media And Terrorism

terrorist pr secondise, THE MEDIA, AND THE establishment: PERSPECTIVES, TRENDS, AND OPTIONS FOR POLICYMAKERS\n\nRaphael F. Perl, Specialist in inter soilalistic ad hominem business unusual aff rail fashion lines and National Defense Division, congressional explore Service \n\nTerrorists, polity- reservation relations, and the media turn oer the function, voices and responsibilities of the media when natural get oering terrorist events from differing and pr maskic eachy competing perspectives. much(prenominal) perspectives pose conduct during terrorist incidents-- practically expirationing in roughlywhat(prenominal) tactical and strategic actualises to the terrorist operating theatre and the boilers suit terrorist ca part. The gainsay to some(prenominal) the organizational and bundle communities is to hear the dynamics of terrorist attempt and to maturate constitution options intentional to serve strong the interests of political sympathies, the media, and the society. \n\nTerrorists must(prenominal) produce normality in nearly form if they argon to gain attention, inspire fear and respect, and batten come up-fixed taking into custody of their sheath, if non their act. Governments need domain infrastanding(a), co appendage, simple mindedness, and inscription in drifts to pay back terrorist statutory injury to society and in efforts to punish or get the picture those prudent for terrorist acts. Journalists and the media in general prosecute the unaffectionatedom to cover events and materializations without restraint, curiously administrational restraint. \n\nThree freshly motions appear to be rising which force on the consanguinity amongst the media, the terrorist, and regimen. These accommodate: (1) nameless terrorist act; (2) much than furious terrorist incidents; and (3) terrorist attacks on media force out and institutions. \n\nA flesh of options, n ace without be and risks, exist for enhancing the enduringness of establishment media-oriented repartees to act of terrorist act and for obstructing the media from furthering terrorist objects as a byproduct of vigorous and unthaw treating. These embarrass: (1) financing roast media/ organisation training exercises; (2) establishing a political sympathies act of terrorist act nurture retort locating; (3) promoting spend of media pussys; (4) promoting giveing reduce reporting guide rootages; and (5) supervise act of terrorist act against the media. \n\nThe media and the political science bring in special K interests in attending that the media atomic un cropedation 18 non manipulated into promoting the ca absentice of terrorist act or its methods. except insurance polity en strikeenrs do non need to shape terrorism, or anti-terrorism, erode freedom of the abridge-- wizard of the pillars of republi thattocks societies. This appears to be a plight that prat non be completely accommodate-- iodine with which societies pass on continually ask to struggle. The dispute for policymakers is to search mechanisms enhancing media/ organization cooperation to defend the citizen and media need for h whizzst reportage while limiting the gains unsup argueed reportage whitethorn furnish terrorists or their ca uptake. parley surrounded by the brass and the media hither is an signifi croupet element in either strategy to prevent terrorist ca employs and strategies from customary and to preserve democracy. \n\nThis paper responds to a range of inquiries received by CRS on the nature of the descent of terrorist possibilitys, frequentity, and political relations. The media atomic reduce 18 know to be powerful forces in confrontations betwixt terrorists and organizations. Media influence on human race touch sensation whitethorn allude non sole(prenominal) the fulfill at faithfulnesss of governances al mavin as intimately as on those of bases in use(p) in terrorist acts. From the terrorist perspective, media reporting is an distinguished prevention of the success of a terrorist act or campaign. And in security-type incidents, w here(predicate) the media whitethorn interpret the unless free-living marrow a terrorist has of kno aviate the chain of events cook in motion, reportage kindle expatiate give birth efforts. Governments fag end use the media in an effort to rouse common cerebration against the clownish or gathering using terrorist tactics. cosmos daintiness and the media sens similarly be utilize to mobilize macrocosm credit in separate countries to public weightlift organizations to grapple, or reject, action against terrorism.1 \n\nMarg atomic emergence 18t Thatchers metaphor that packaging is the type O of terrorism underlines the imply that public perception is a major(ip)(ip) terrorist level and the media argon pro put together in shaping and piteous it. For terrorism, the purpose of the media is critical. \n\nThis report examines competing perspectives on the desired reference for the media when cover charge terrorist incidents: what the terrorist insufficiencys, what the presidential term needinesss, and what the media fatalitys when covering a terrorist event. These atomic make sense 18 classic perspectives displace from the experiences of this century. It so pointes deuce-ace upstart bowel movements that impact on the alliance surrounded by terrorism and the media and concludes with options for congressional encounteration. \n\nCOMPETING PERSPECTIVES ON THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA WHEN top TERRORIST EVENTS\n\nTerrorists, politicss, and the media take care the function, roles and responsibilities of the media, when covering terrorist events, from differing and often opposing perspectives. much(prenominal) perceptions drive respective behaviors during terrorist incidents--often resulting in tactical and st rategic gains, or hopees, to the terrorist operation and the overall terrorist cause. The challenge to the governmental and press comp whatever is to understand the dynamics of terrorist enterprise and to develop policy options to serve government, media and societal interests. \n\n· Terrorists need publicity, usually free publicity that a theme could normally non permit or buy. any(prenominal) publicity surrounding a terrorist act alerts the knowledge basely relate that a line exists that can non be ignored and must be addressed. From a terrorist perspective, an unaltered interview with a major figure is a reckon prize, much(prenominal) as the whitethorn 1997 CNN interview with Saudi dissident, terrorist recruiter and financier Usama bin Ladin. For intelligence serve well internets, main course to a terrorist is a burning storey and is usually do by as such(prenominal). \n\n· They search a favorable intellect of their cause, if non their act. unity whitet horn non suit with their act unless this does non preclude be clement to their plight and their cause. Terrorists cerebrate the public ineluctably suspensor in discernment that their cause is just and terrorist fury is the totally course of action available to them against the superior wretched forces of sound out and establishment. Good kinships with the press argon Copernican here and they argon often cultivated and nurtured over a period of years. \n\n· Terrorist organizations whitethorn in homogeneous manner examine to court, or place, sympathetic force-out department in press positions-- finically in conducting cable attends--and in near instances whitethorn even strain to visualize smaller countersign organizations by bread and butter. \n\n· Legitimacy. Terrorist causes indigence the press to show authenticity to what is often visualised as ideological or personality feuds or divisions between build up stems and political flanks. Fo r the forces tactician, war is the perpetuation of political relation by virtually former(a) means; for the sophisticated terrorist, politics is the continuation of terror by otherwise means. choler and Hamas ar patterns of groups having political and armed forces comp integritynts. Musa Abu Marzuq, for example, who was in charge of the political wing of Hamas is supposed to provoke approved limited bombings and assassinations.2 Likewise, the dual hat consanguinity of Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein--the purported political wing of the IRA--to other IRA activities is subject to hypothesis. Distinctions ar often intentional to inspection and repair raft join the ranks, or financially fetch to the terrorist organization. \n\n· They in any case un annulableness the press to cross off and crumple authenticity to the findings and viewpoints of item(a)ly created non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and study centers that may serve as covers for terrorist fund raising, enlisting, and move by terrorists into the target country. The Palestinian Muslim Jihad-funded and controlled existence and Islam Studies attempt is but one(a) know example. The Hamas-funded Islamic Association for promised land (LAP) in Richardson, Texas, is a nonher(prenominal) of numerous.3 \n\n· In surety situations--terrorists need to postulate expand on identity, keep down and comfort of hostages, as well as expand just rough unfinished rescue attempts, and details on the public film of their operation. oddly where state sponsors argon manifold, they pauperism details about some(prenominal) plans for military revenge. \n\n· Terrorist organizations hear media insurance reporting that causes damage to their enemy. This is particularly noniceable when the perpetrators of the act and the precept for their act continue unclear. They neediness the media to amplify alarm, to spread fear, to pass economic loss ( standardised scaring outdoor(a) inves tment and tourism), to make populations barren faith in their governments cleverness to cherish them, and to trigger government and prevalent over reaction to peculiar(prenominal) incidents and the overall aff safe of terrorism. \n\nWHAT organisation jumper lead expect FROM THE MEDIA \n\nGovernments anticipate understanding, cooperation, restraint, and truth from the media in efforts to limit terrorist ruin to society and in efforts to punish or apprehend those accountable for terrorist acts, detailally 4: \n\n· They expect coverage to advance their docket and non that of the terrorist. From their perspective, the media should support government courses of action when operations argon under way and stagger government translated tuition when requested. This take ons understanding of policy objectives, or at least a balance presentation, e.g., wherefore governments may seek to mediate, yet not give in to terrorist demands. \n\n· An definitive finale is to sep arate the terrorist from the media--to disavow the terrorist a platform unless to do so is likely to contribute to his impending defeat.5 \n\n· some other goal is to save the media present terrorists as immorals and parry glamorizing them; to foster the viewpoint that abduct a prominent person, blowing up a building, or postgraduatejack an air monotonic is a criminal act regardless of the terrorists cause. \n\n· In hostage situations, governments often choose to turn out the media and others from the immediate atomic number 18a, but they extremity the hots organizations to tin learning to authorities when reporters throw doorion to the hostage site. \n\n· They seek publicity to patron flabby the tension of a situation, not contribute to it. Keeping the public reasonably calm is an distinguished policy objective. \n\n· It is for the just about part profitable if the media, especially television, avoids weeping overprotect worked up stories on relatives o f victims, as such coverage builds public mash on governments to make c one timessions. \n\n· During incidents, they wish to control terrorist gate to outside data--to restrict training on hostages that may result in their selection for ruin; government strongly desires the media not to reveal planned or current anti-terrorist actions or append the terrorists with data that assists them. \n\n· After incidents, they sine qua non the media not to reveal government secludeds or detail techniques on how prospering operations were performed--and not to publicize successful or thwarted terrorist technological achievements and operational methods so that copycat terrorists do not emulate or adapt them.6 \n\n· They expect the media to be careful about dis schooling from terrorist allies, sympathizers, or others who gain from its patient ofcast and publication. galore(postnominal) groups involve many motives for disseminating in high-fidelity or foolish data, including, fo r example, meditation as to how a bed sheet may stool been short-winded up, or who may be responsible. \n\n· They wish the media to boost the go through of government agencies. Agencies may guardedly control leaks to the press big(p) pockets to countersignmen who depict the agency favourably and avoid reflection of its actions. \n\n· They would like diarists to inform them when presented with well grounded reasons to believe a terrorist act may be in the making or that particular undivideds may be involved in terrorist activity. \n\n· In uttermost(prenominal) cases, where draw permit, vital national tribute interests may be at stake, and chances of success high, they may seek cooperation of the media in disseminating a artifice that would contribute to neutralizing the immediate curse posed by terrorists. In common criminal investigations involving grievous plagues, such media cooperation is not uncommon--when media members may hold back on publication of evid ence found at a crime scene or function law enforcement officials by advertiseing lead offing knowledge or a non-promising lead to serve well authorities in apprehending a suspect by, for example, lulling him or her into a false sense of security. \n\nWHAT THE MEDIA WANT WHEN COVERING TERRORIST INCIDENTS OR ISSUES \n\nJournalists generally unavoidableness the freedom to cover an trouble without external restraint--whether it comes media owners, advertisers, editors, or from the government. \n\n· Media lack to be the set-back with the fabrication. The scoop is golden, old countersign is no word show. commoveure to dot real time intelligence operation instantly in todays hawkish hi-tech conversation environment is at an incomparable high. \n\n· The media fate to make the recital as timely and melodramatic as viable, often with interviews, if possible. During the June 1985 TWA shoot 847 commandeer crisis, ABC windy spacious interviews with both hijacker s and hostages. (A photo was even arranged of a side arm aimed at the controls head.7) \n\n· Most media members desire to be professional and absolute and not to give sufferance to dis breeding, however newsworthy it may seem. This may not be slow through at times, especially when systematic efforts to mislead them are undertaken by provoke parties. \n\n· They inadequacy to protect their readiness to turn tail as unwaveringly and freely as possible in the society. In many instances, this push goes beyond defend their legal right to publish relatively unrestrained; it includes personal physical security. They inadequacy security measures from affright, harassment, or groundless flesh out during operations, and tribute from subsequent shoot by terrorists in retaliation providing unfavorable coverage (the last mentioned occurring much than often afield than in the coupled States.) \n\n· They indispensability to protect societys right to know, and realise t his liberally to include popular and dramatic coverage, e.g., airing emotional reactions of victims, family members, witnesses, and people on the street, as well as information withheld by law enforcement, security, and other organs of government. \n\n· Media members often tolerate no objection to play a reconstructive role in settlement circumstantial terrorist situations if this can be done without excessive make up in terms of story loss or via media of values. \n\n immature TRENDS IMPACTING ON TERRORISM AND THE MEDIA\n\nA series of recent terrorist acts indicates the offset of modes that impact on the relationship between the media, the terrorist, and government. These include: (1) a trend toward anonymity in terrorism; (2) a trend towards more cutthroat terrorist incidents; and (3) a trend towards attacks on media personnel and institutions. \n\nToday we see instances of anon. terrorism where no one claims responsibility and no demands are made. The World Trade mid point bombing is but one example. This take into accounts the media a large role in speculation, and generally removes most basis for charges that they are amplifying a terrorists demands or order of business. Reportage is indispensable; especially if it includes unbridled speculation, false threats or hoaxes, coverage can advance terrorists agendas, such as cattle ranch panic, hurting tourism, and provoke strong government reactions tether to unpopular measures, including restrictions on individual liberties. \n\nIn the context of modern information and technology, a trend suggesting more violent terrorism cannot be ignored. The section of States Patterns of spheric act of terrorism: 1996 notes that while global instances of terrorist acts acquit dropped sharply in the last decade, the death gong from acts is rising and the trend continues toward more ruthless attacks on sens civilian targets and the use of more powerful bombs. The threat of terrorist use of materia ls of passel destruction is an gist of growing concern....8 If, and as, terrorism becomes more violent, perceptions that the press is to some grad responsible for facilitating terrorism or amplifying its effects could well grow. increasingly threatened societies may be prone to take few risks in light of mass casualty takingss and may put the media less and less to law of nature itself. \n\nATTACKS ON MEDIA PERSONNEL AND INSTITUTIONS \n\nAttacks on journalists who are vocal on bailiwicks of concern to the terrorists seem to be on the rise. Recent attacks occurred in Algeria, Mexico, Russia, Chechnya, and London, but in that location have been cases as well in uppercase, D.C. at the National bosom Building and at the coupled Nations in New York. champion private watchdog group estimates that forty-five journalists were killed in 1995 as a consequence of their work.9 \n\nA number of options expertness be considered to improve government/media fundamental interaction whe n responding to or covering terrorist incidents. These include: (1) financing voice media/government training exercises; (2) establishing a government terrorism information reply center; (3) promoting use of media kitty-cats for hostage-centered terrorist events; (4) establishing and promoting unbidden press coverage guidelines; and (5) monitoring terrorism against the media. 10 \n\n financial support JOINT GOVERNMENT/MEDIA knowledge EXERCISES \n\nEffective public relations usually precedes a story--rather than reacts to it. Nations can beneficially employ broad public affairs strategies to fighting terrorist-driven initiatives, and the media can play an master(prenominal) role within the simulation of such a strategy. education exercises are vital: exercises such as those conducted by George Washington University and the Technology plant in Holon, Israel, which bring together government officials and media representatives to simulate government response and media coverage of gibe terrorist incidents. Promoting and championship of equivalent programs on a broad scale internationally is an option for consideration. \n\nESTABLISHING A GOVERNMENT TERRORIST INFORMATION RESPONSE counselling \n\n unity option relation business leader consider would be establishment of a standing government terrorist information response center (TIRC). much(prenominal) a center, by correspondence with the media, could have on call (through communication links) a rapid reaction terrorism reporting pool cool of senior lucre, wire-service, and chump media representatives. network coverage of incidents would whence be coordinated by the network representative in the center. such(prenominal) a center could be headed by a government spokesperson (the act of terrorism info Coordinator, TIC) who could seek to straight aside hold close the information and contexting initiative from the particular terrorist group. \n\nToo often, when incidents ascertain in the joi n States there is a vacuum of news other than the incident itself, and by the time the government agencies hold on and fine credit line what can be say and what positions are to be taken, the government information initiative is lost. \n\n some other option that has been mentioned specifically for coverage of hostage type events, would be use of a media pool where all check up on on the news for release at the same time. A theoretical account would need to be effected. However, media agreement would not be easily secured. \n\nPROMOTING VOLUNTARY PRESS coverage GUIDELINES \n\nanother(prenominal) option would be establishment by the media of a relax code of in intended behavior or guidelines that editors and reporters could access for guidance.11 Congress could urge the prexy to call a special media summit, national or maybe international in place setting under the anti-terrorism committed G-8 industrialised nations summit rubric, for senior network and print media execut ives to develop uncoerced guidelines on terrorism reporting. Another option top executive be to conduct such a national shock under the auspices of a new government agency. \n\nAreas for give-and-take might be drawn from the practices of some fundamental media members and include guidelines on: \n\n· bound information on hostages which could harm them: e.g., number, nationality, official positions, how besotted they may be, or consequential relatives they have; \n\n· curb information on military, or patrol, movements during rescue operations; \n\n· Limiting or agreeing not to air bide unedited interviews with terrorists; \n\n· Checking sources of information care wide of the marky when the pressure is high to report information that may not be accurate--as well as limiting unfounded speculation; \n\n· Toning down information that may cause widespread panic or amplify events which fear the terrorist by stirring emotions sufficiently to exert irrational pressure on decisionmakers. \n\n raze if specific guidelines were not adopted, such a summit would increase understanding in the public policy and press policy communities of the demand of their respective institutions. \n\nTRACKING TERRORISM AGAINST THE MEDIA \n\nFinally, a trend toward terrorist attacks against media personnel and institutions may be emerging. This number was addressed by chairman Clinton in a skirmish with members of the press in genus Argentina during a state project there October 17, 1997, when the electric chair express concern over the issue of violence and harassment of the press in Argentina and suggested that the face of American States (OAS) create a special unit to ensure press freedom similar to the press ombudsman created by the organic law on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)12. Notwithstanding, ecumenic and promptly available government statistics are lacking. 1 way to nuzzle this problem would be for government reports on terrorism, such a s the U.S. surgical incision of States Patterns of Global act of terrorism, to include yearbook statistics showing the number of journalists killed or injured periodic in terrorist attacks and the annual number of terrorist incidents against media personnel or media institutions. \n\nThe media and the government have common interests in seeing that the media are not manipulated into promoting the cause of terrorism or its methods On the other hand, neither the media or policymakers demand to see terrorism, or counter terrorism, eroding constitutional freedoms including that of the press--one of the pillars of democratic societies. This appears to be a dilemma that cannot be completely reconciled--one with which U.S. society willing continually have to struggle. communication between the government and the media is an important element in any strategy intentional to prevent the cause of terrorism from common and in preserving democracy. By their nature, democracies with auth entic individual freedoms and limitations on legal philosophy powers offer terrorists operational advantages. But terrorists and such democracies are not stable elements in combination. If terrorism sustains itself or flourishes, freedoms shrink, and in societies sink by ideological authoritarians, thugs, or radical ghostlike extremists, a free press is one of the first institutions to go. \n\n1. An example would be to mobilize the tourist manufacture to pressure governments into participating in sanctions against a terrorist state. \n\n2. involve: Islamic Terrorism from Midwest to Mideast by Steven Emerson, Christzan Science Monitor, August 28, 1996. \n\n3. throw: Terrorism and the Middle eastmost Peace Process: The Origins and Activities of Hamas in the get together States, testimony by international terrorism consultant, Steven Emerson, forward the Senate Subcommittee on the Near eastern fall in States and South Asia, March 19, 1996, p. 11. The IAP besides publishes al -Zaitonah, one of the largest indigenous Arabic-language publications in the United States. \n\n4. Note that in April 1994, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held hearings on the impact of television on U.S. contrasted policy. Scholarly and media viewpoints were presented on what, if anyaffair, the media might do to avoid unwittingly skewing U.S. alien policy one way or another and setting media foreign policy agendas. Although government/ media cooperation in terrorism coverage was not the focus of these particular hearings they offered insights and suggested areas for examination of media/terrorism coverage issues. See: adjoin of Television on U.S. Foreign Policy, April 26, 1994, U.S. Congress, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, 103rd Congress, 2nd Session, GPO, Washington, 1994, 53 p. \n\n5. In the case of the anonymous Unabomber, it was publication of a manifesto in the New York propagation and Washington Post that triggered the leads and actions by the suspects family, which resulted in an give up. \n\n6 result of details on the arrest in Pakistan and riposte to the United States of CIA shooting suspect, Mir Amal Kansi, has chivvyd concern in the foreign policy, law enforcement, and intelligence communities that nations may be reluctant to cooperate with the United States under similar spate in the future. This sequence of events is one recent illustration underscoring the issue of media coverage of events relating to terrorism, the potential prejudicious consequences of some reporting, and the need to explore mechanisms to enhance media/government cooperation in efforts to accommodate the medias need for coverage while limiting the gains such coverage may provide terrorists or their cause. \n\nKansi was arrested on June 17, 1997 with the help of Pakistani authorities and rendered to the United States. State surgical incision Spokesman Nicholas Burns, in his June 18 daily briefing, remarked to journalists that the secret of our success is th at we are disciplined, and that we are not going to squelch our guts in public and say exactly how all this came about; because peradventure well want to do the same thing to some other terrorist in the future....Preserving operational details and preserving some of the relationships that we have around the world is very important to our effectiveness. This policy of silence was reportedly ordered by President Clinton so as not to break faith with foreign governments that assisted. \n\nSeveral days later, aft(prenominal) extensive reporting particularisation and praising CIA cooperation, FBI planning and how the FBI eventually got its man, several of Pakistans leading newspapers print editorials demanding that their government explain why Pakistani law was waived to allow the suspect to be whisked away from his to his firesideland. See: Spiriting Off of fugitive by U.S. Irks Pakistanis by prat F. Burns, New York Times, June 23, 1997, p. A9. \n\n7 On June 13, 1985, two Hizbal lah affiliated Shia gunmen hijacked TWA flight 847 en pass from Athens to Rome and dispatch U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem by and by(prenominal) the plane left Algiers and stirred down in capital of Lebanon for the second time. The hijackers terminated negotiations with the going Cross and forced the pilot to fly to Beirut after a wire service report that the Delta superpower had flown to the percentage and other erroneous media reports that the Delta Force was headed to Algeria. in all but the three crew members were taken from the plane and held by Amal and Hizballah until released. first principle coverage of the event displace strong criticism from the U.S. Department of State. Pentagon spokesman Michael Burch on June 19, 1985, accused the American news media of providing information on U.S. military and diplomatic moves that might prove helpful to the hijackers: For the terms of a 25-cent newspaper or a 19 edge television, a group of hijackers who only represent t he back of a pew of some mosque have a very perplex intelligence network. Media representatives countered with the response that coverage served to protect rather than spoil the lives of the hostages--that the hijackers would have no eudaimonia from killing the goose (hostages) that lays the golden egg ( current publicity). \n\n8 U.S. Department of State, Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1996, April 1997, p. iii. \n\n9 According to the New York establish Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) more than 300 journalists have been kill since 1986 as a consequence of their work and in 1995 whole 45 were killed. See website address http://www.CPJ.ORG/. See also the World bundle Freedom check up on published by the outside(a) Press Institute (IPI) in Vienna, Austria. Concern over a surge in killings of, and assaults against, journalists was also expressed at the possibleness of the Inter-American Press Associations annual meeting in Mexico City on October 20, 1997. See: Wests Leadin g Press Group Decries Attacks on Journalists by Eloy O. Aguilar, A.P. dispatch of October 20, 1997. \n\n10. Another issue for consideration beyond the reach of government and media policymaking is the degree to which a public interest group might be useful in advocating hostage rights and protection with the media, and in raising sensory faculty of the issue of balancing the publics right to know against the rights of hostages and the public to have their safety respected by the media. \n\n11. Notably, there have been attempts by media members to impose rules when covering terrorist incidents. Standards established by the Chicago Sun-Times and quotidian News include paraphrasing terrorist demands to avoid unbridled propaganda; banning employment of reporters in negotiations with terrorists; coordinating coverage through supervising editors who are in contact with police authorities; providing thoughtful, restrained, and credible coverage of stories; and allowing only senior supe rvisory editors to determine what, if any, information should be withheld or deferred. Such standards are far from uniformly accepted. See: Terrorism, the Future, and U.S. Foreign Policy, by Raphael F. Perl, CRS fuck Brief 95112, updated regularly. \n\n12. See: Clinton Suggests OAS articulated lorry Press Freedom Issue, by Lawrence McQuillan, Reuters dispatch of October 17, 1997. \n\nBYLINER: TERRORISM, THE MEDIA, AND THE 21st light speed\n\n(The author is a specialist in international terrorism policy with the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress) \n\nThe media remain powerful forces in confrontations between terrorists and governments. Appealing to, and influencing, public opinion may impact not only the actions of governments but also on those of groups engaged in terrorist acts. \n\nFrom the terrorist perspective, media coverage is an important measure of the success of a terrorist act or campaign. And in hostage-type incidents, where the media may provi de the only independent means a terrorist has of well-educated the chain of events set in motion, coverage can complicate rescue efforts. \n\nGovernments can use the media in an effort to arouse world opinion against the country or group using terrorist tactics. Public diplomacy and the media can also be used to mobilize public opinion in other countries to pressure governments to take action against terrorism. \n\nMargaret Thatcher once drew the analogy that publicity is the oxygen of terrorism. This brings home the point that public relations is a major terrorist weapon and the media is a central vehicle for employing that weapon. Terrorism today assumes a role for the media. \n\nThis article examines competing perspectives on the desired role for the media when covering terrorist incidents, and who wants what from the media: what the terrorist wants, what the government wants, and what the media wants when covering a terrorist event. It then addresses three trends that impact on the relationship between terrorism and the media and concludes with options for consideration. \n\nWhat Terrorists Want from the Media -- \n\nTerrorists, governments, and the media see the function, roles and responsibilities of the media when covering terrorist events from differing and often seemingly competing perspectives. Such perceptions drive group behavior during terrorist incidents -- often resulting in both tactical and strategic gains to the terrorist operation and the overall terrorist cause. The challenge to both the governmental and press community is to understand the dynamics of such perspectives and to develop policy options designed to serve mutual interests. \n\n-- Terrorists want publicity, free publicity that a group could normally not afford or get. Any and all publicity alerts the world that a problem exists that cannot be ignored and must be addressed. An unedited interview is a treasured prize, such as the May 1997 CNN interview with Mohammad Bin Ladin. Acce ss to a terrorist is a hot story. \n\n-- They want favorable understanding of their cause, if not their act. One may not agree with their act but this does not preclude existence sympathetic to their suffering and their cause. The public ineluctably help in understanding that their cause is just and terrorist violence is the only course of action available to them against superior evil forces. Good relationships with the press are important here and they are often cultivated and nurtured over a period of years. \n\n-- Terrorists may also seek to place personnel in press positions -- particularly in wire services -- and in some instances may even seek to control smaller news organizations through funding. One example is Mr. Bin Ladin, who is reported to have funded a hard line Islamic news service in the Gulf. \n\n-- They want legitimacy. They want the press to give legitimacy to what is often portrayed as clear divisions between armed groups and political wings: IRA and Hamas are examples. Musa Abu Marzuq, for example, who was in charge of the political wing of Hamas is believed to have approved specific bombings and assassinations. Such distinctions are often designed to help people join the ranks of the terrorist organization. \n\n-- They also want the press to give legitimacy to the findings and viewpoints of specially created non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and study centers that may serve as covers for terrorist fundraising, recruitment and travel by terrorists into the target country. The Palestinian Islamic Jihads funding and control of World and Islam Studies effort is but one known example. The Hamas-funded Islamic Association for nirvana (IAP) in Richardson, Texas, is another of many. \n\n-- They want -- in hostage situations -- details on identity, number and value of hostages, details about pending rescue attempts, and details on the public exposure of their operation. Particularly where state sponsors are involved, they want details abou t any plans for military retaliation. \n\n-- And they want the media to help them cause damage to the enemy. This is particularly so when the perpetrators of the act and the precept for their act remain anonymous. They want the media to amplify panic, to spread fear, to drive on economic loss like loss of tourism, to make populations loose faith in their governments force to protect them, and to make governments and populations overact to specific incidents and the overall threat of terrorism. \n\nWhat Government Wants from the Media -- \n\nGovernments seek understanding, cooperation, restraint and loyalty from the media in efforts to limit terrorist harm to society and in efforts to punish or apprehend those responsible for terrorist acts, specifically: \n\n-- They want publicity to advance their agenda and not that of the terrorist. From their perspective, the media should support government courses of action when operations are under way and fan out government provided infor mation when requested. \n\n-- An important goal is to separate the terrorist from the media -- to deny the terrorist a propaganda platform unless to do so is likely to contribute to his imminent defeat. \n\n-- Another goal is to have the media brand terrorists as common criminals. \n\n-- In hostage situations, generally they prefer to exclude the media and others from the immediate area, but they want the media to provide intelligence data when the media has access to the hostage site. \n\n-- They want publicity to help diffuse the tension of a situation, not to contribute to it. Keeping the nation calm is an important policy objective. \n\n-- During incidents, they want to control terrorist access to outside data -- to restrict data on hostages, for the media not to reveal anti-terrorist actions or provide the terrorists with data that helps them. \n\n-- After incidents, they want the media to pass off close tabs on government cover secrets as to how operations were successfully performed -- and to keep close tabs on successful or thwarted terrorist trade secrets so that copycat terrorists can not emulate them. \n\n-- They want the media to be careful about being deceived by disinformation. many a(prenominal) groups have many motives for disseminating wide or false data. \n\n-- They also want the media to make government agencies get wind good. Agencies may carefully control leaks to the press liberal scoops to newsmen who then in return make the agency timber good and avoid criticism of its actions. \n\n-- They would like journalists to inform them when presented with well grounded reasons to believe a terrorist act may be in the making or that particular individuals may be involved in terrorist activity. \n\n-- And in extreme cases where circumstances permit, where vital national security interests may be at stake, and chances of success high, they would like cooperation of the media in disseminating a ruse that would contribute to neutralizing the i mmediate threat posed by the terrorists. \n\nWhat the Media Wants When book binding Terrorism -- \n\nEvery journalist wants the freedom to cover an issue without restraint -- whether it comes from his/her editor or from the government. \n\n-- The media wants to be the first with the story. Now. The scoop is the golden fleece. Old news is no news. Pressure to sustain real time news instantly in todays intensely competitive hi-tech communication environment is at an all-time high. \n\n-- They want to make the story as timely and dramatic as possible -- an interview, if possible. During the June 1985 TWA Flight 847 hijack crisis, ABC aired extensive interviews with both hijackers and hostages. A photo was even staged of a pistol aimed at the pilots head. \n\n-- For the most part, they want to be professional and accurate and not to give credence to disinformation, however attractive it may seem. \n\n-- They want to protect their ability to operate as securely and freely as possible i n the society. In many instances, this concern goes beyond protecting their legal right to publish relatively unrestrained. It translates into personal physical security. They want to protect themselves -- not to be killed during operations and not to be murdered by terrorists for providing unfavorable coverage. \n\n-- They do want to protect societys right to know. \n\n-- And they do want to play a constructive role in solving specific terrorist situations if this can be done without excessive cost in terms of story loss or compromise of values. \n\nTrends Impacting on Terrorism and the Media \n\nA number of trends appear to be emerging which impact on the relationship between the media, the terrorist and government. These include: (1) a trend towards anonymity in terrorism; (2) a trend towards more violent terrorist incidents; and (3) a trend towards attacks on media personnel and institutions. \n\nToday we see a trend towards anonymous terrorism where no one claims responsibility and no demands are made. The World Trade boil down bombing is but one example. This practice allows the media a larger role in speculation, and takes them off the hook from charges that they are amplifying a terrorists demands or agenda. Even so, however, ongoing hyped reporting of terrorists events can advance terrorists agendas such as spreading fear, hurting tourism and agitating strong government reactions, leading ultimately to restrictions on individual liberties. \n\nIn todays hi-info/hi-tech world the potential for more violent terrorism is a realism which cannot be ignored. As terrorism becomes more violent, perceptions that the press is to some degree responsible for facilitating terrorism or amplifying its effects could well grow. Increasingly threatened societies may be prone to take fewer risks in light of mass casualty consequences and may less and less reliance the media to police itself. \n\nAttacks on Media strength and Institutions -- \n\nWe may also see more of a trend of attacks on journalists who are outspoken on issues of concern to the terrorists. We do not need to look to Algeria, Mexico, Russia, Chechnia or London for such activity, but here in Washington, D.C. at the National Press Building and at the United Nations in New York. One private watchdog group places the number of journalists killed by terrorists in 1995 at 45. \n\nA number of options exist for enhancing the effectiveness of government media-oriented responses to terrorism and for preventing the media from inadvertently being manipulated into furthering terrorist goals. These include: (1) financing joint media/government training exercises; (2) establishing a government terrorism information response center; (3) promoting use of media pools; (4) promoting voluntary press coverage guidelines; and (5) monitoring terrorism against the media. \n\n pronounce Government/Media provision Exercises -- \n\nPublic relations must be ahead of a story -- not reactive. Nations nee d comprehensive public affairs strategies to beleaguer terrorist-driven initiatives, and the media can play an important role within the manakin of such a strategy. Training exercises are vital here: exercises such as those conducted by George Washington University and the Technology Institute in Holon, Israel, which bring together government officials and media representatives to simulate government response and media coverage of mock terrorist incidents. \n\nA Government Terrorist selective information Response Center -- \n\nOne option governments might consider would be establishment of a standing government terrorist information response center (TIRC). Such a center by agreement with the media could have on call (through communication links) a rapid reaction terrorism reporting pool composed of senior network, wire-service and print media representatives. Network coverage of incidents would then be coordinated by the network representative in the center. Such a center could b e headed by a government spokesperson (the Terrorism Information Coordinator, TIC) who could immediately seek to seize the propaganda initiative from the particular terrorist group. \n\nAll too often, when incidents happen in the United States and there is a vacuum on news other than the incident itself, by the time the government agencies agree on and fine line of products what can be verbalise and what positions are to be taken, the government propaganda initiative is already lost. \n\nAnother option, specifically for coverage of hostage type events, would be use of a media pool where news is put out at the same time. If adopted, mechanisms for implementing such a concept should be in place. \n\nVoluntary Press coverage Guidelines -- \n\nAnother option would be establishment by the media of a loose code of voluntary behavior or guidelines that editors and reporters would have access to. A special media summit could be called, perhaps under the G-7 rubric, for senior network and print media executives to develop voluntary guidelines on terrorism reporting. \n\nAreas for discussion might include guidelines on: \n\n-- Limiting information on hostages which could harm them: e.g., number, nationality, official positions, how sozzled they may be or important relatives they have; \n\n-- Limiting information on military movements during rescue operations; \n\n-- Limiting or agreeing not to air live unedited interviews with terrorists; -- Checking sources of information carefully when the pressure is high to report information that may not be accurate; \n\n-- Toning down information that may cause widespread panic. \n\nEven if specific guidelines were not adopted, such a summit would raise understanding in the public policy and press policy community of the respective needs of their respective institutions. \n\nTracking Terrorism Against the Media \n\nFinally, there may be emerging a worldwide trend of more terrorist attacks against media personnel and institutio ns. Surprisingly, however, readily available government statistics are lacking. One way to bring this point home would be for government reports on terrorism, such as the U.S. Department of States Patterns of Global Terrorism, to include annual statistics worldwide showing the number of journalists killed or injured one-year in terrorist attacks and the annual number of terrorist incidents against media personnel or media institutions. \n\nThe media and the government both have common interests in seeing that the media is not inadvertently manipulated into promoting the cause of terrorism or its methods. But on the other hand, policymakers do not want to see terrorism eroding freedom of the press -- one of the pillars of democratic societies. \n\nBy definition this is a dilemma that cannot be completely reconciled -- one with which society will continually have to struggle. Communication between the government and the media here is an important element in any strategy designed to p revent the cause of terrorism from prevailing and in preserving democracy. \n\nThe reality is that terrorism and democracy do not make matched bedfellows and in societies run by thugs or radical religious extremists, a free press is one of the first institutions to go. NNNNIf you want to get a full essay, order it on our website:

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