Media Censorship Summary

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Pages: 5

Over the past couple of years, there has been an exponential increase in the amount of terrorist acts committed. (CITATION) One possible reason for this is the media coverage of the attacks. Researchers have analyzed data and have realized that media coverage of terrorist attacks, does in fact, result in more terrorist attacks. (CITATION) This may be due to the relationship between the media and terrorist groups. This relationship is symbiotic, both parties benefit from each other. The media benefits from the rise in viewers and sales, while the terrorist groups benefit from the publicity. The biggest goal for terrorist groups is to get their actions in the headlines, in order to reach a big audience. The media may be covering terrorist attacks …show more content…
The author of the article, “Terrorism and Censorship: The Media in Chains,” Terry Anderson, was kidnapped by the Islamic Jihad in March of 1985. In the article, he discusses the time he spent as a hostage and the role the media plays when it comes to terrorism. He states that a victory for terrorists is when a political kidnapping, assassination, or bombing is reported in the media. This is due to the fact that they have the world’s attention when their actions are reported in the news. Anderson discusses how closely the terrorist groups pay attention to the media, especially when the media is talking about them or the actions that they created. Anderson gives an example of how closely terrorists watch, and how seriously they take the things said in the media. When Father Martin Jenco was released in 1986, he had a video that was made by another hostage. In the video, David Jacobsen, sent condolences to his family. The media took this video and spun it to say there was a “secret message” on the tape. The terrorists holding Anderson were “paranoid” and believed the “secret message” theory. As a result, Anderson and the other hostages lost the privileges that they had. Anderson also gives another example of how closely the terrorists watch the media and how they take it seriously. On the day Anderson was about to be released, the arms for hostage deal was revealed to the press. Again, the media “blew the whole deal out of the water,” and Anderson was not released for another five years. In addition to the media encouraging terrorist groups to act and harming people that are in hostage situations, they release too much information to the public about things related to