Terrorism and the media

by Brigitte L. Nacos

Over the last fifteen years, incidents of anti-American terrorism have become increasingly common. Until recently, however, Americans believed that such violent acts would not occur on American soil. The 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City, the epicenter of American finance, was a rude awakening. Terrorism and the Media comes to readers at a crossroad in American history, when U.S. national security experts anticipate more acts of international terrorism at home and abroad. The author contends that terrorists are very successful in exploiting the vital link between the news media, public opinion, and decision-making - a pattern which might be called a calculus of violence. Terrorism works because media coverage of such incidents influence the American public to support government responses that protect the victims of terrorism, most of all hostages, at the expense of the national interest. Moreover, presidents and other high-level officials tend to follow public opi