The Mass Media's role in influencing 'New' Terrorism.

Question: How do the perpetrators of terrorism in today's society use the mass media to emphasise their spectacle of terror? How has its manner changed as media gains a more influential role over society?

This essay examines the persuasive effects that the media has over the activities of terrorists throughout the world. It also depicts the costs of terrorist activities and how it is being combatted by some of the world leaders.

NOTE: Written on 14/12/2002

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Terrorism is an aspect that has been effecting civilisation for hundreds of years. The acts of violence have many different aims and objectives which intend on being achieved by the perpetrators themselves, or by the organisations (also known as cells) that support them. With the aid of the present day media, acts of terrorism are now becoming designed to grasp the attention of the entire world and thrust the terrorist organisation's message into the spotlight for the whole world to examine.

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The aim of this paper is to address the media's influential role over society, whilst detailing how terrorists use that influence to advance their goals and ideologies; and to examine political responses in wake of the terrorist activities that are designed for media coverage.

Due to the obvious fact that terrorism covers such a broad spectrum of activities and threats to both domestic and global order, there are many different definitions that accompany it. For the purposes of this paper terrorism will be viewed as "unjustified violence against a democratic state that permits effective and peaceful forms of opposition." From this definition of terrorism, certain elements need to be addressed to emphasise the true ideology and reasoning behind actual terrorist activities. Terrorism can be viewed from a political view point, where there are both left and right wing forms of violence. A...