Media’s Relationship with Terrorism

Abstract

There is a symbiotic relationship between terrorism and the media. The terrorist’s rely on the media to further their terror-inspiring goal. Whatever may be the form of terrorism either the individual against the state or the state sponsored acts of terrorism against the individual, the perpetrator’s strategy involves the use and instrumentation of the media. Media has made terror-violence an attractive strategy for effecting social or political transformation for two reasons. It has enhanced the power image of those who are opposed to the socio-political system. Secondly technology has made the media an indispensable devise by which an individual or a small group can magnify their power and influence over the society within a short period of time and also with a little effort

Researches studying the effect of the media on the viewers have indicated that media messages are not passively and homogeneously received by an audience, but rather different categories of viewers perceive different aspects of media messages and interpret them in various ways.

Keywords: media, terrorism, symbiotic relationship, terrorism a media creation, electronic media, print media