terrorism and the media amplifying the terrorists' impact: the media as unwilling allies to the...

Terrorism and the Media

Amplifying the Terrorists' Impact: The Media as Unwilling Allies to the

Terrorists’ Agenda

Michael A. Bozarth, Ph.D.Department of Psychology

University at Buffalo

www.PsychologyofTerrorism.com

Copyright 2005 Michael A. Bozarth, Ph.D.

Terrorist Acts are Often Well Calculated

Terrorists seek change through the use of fear and intimidation

Terrorists always ‘play’ to an audience

Specific terrorist tactics are often employed to maximize the impact of their activities


Terrorism is a Type of Psychological Warfare

Conventional warfare makes extensive use of psychological ‘warfare’ to amplify its impact

Terrorism relies almost exclusively on psychological ‘warfare’ for its intended impact

It’s all in the perception of danger


Terrorism is Directed to a Larger Audience

Terrorism is intended to instill terror in a larger target audience

Terrorism can also be intended to recruit more supporters

The media are critically important to achieving both of these goals


Role of the Media in the Genesis of Terror

Victims of the terrorists’ physical attack provide the ‘signal’

Media amplify and disseminate the ‘signal’ or message

Target audience responds with terror, providing the impetus for capitulating to the terrorists’ demands for change


The Media Magnifier

LimitedPhysical Attack Media

World-Wide Publicity


Perception of Threat• 9/11 attack killed less than 3,500

people• Flu kills around 36,000 annually

Are you afraid of the flu?


The Media as Terrorist ‘Recruiters’

Terrorist groups sometimes attempt to gain popular support for their agenda (e.g., publicize their cause), not just impart terror in the ‘suppressive’ population or regime

The tactics necessary for this objective are somewhat different than the other tactics commonly used by terrorist organizations


Terrorists Playing the Media for Gaining Popular Support

Identify the social, political, economic, or religious injustice

Identify the responsible target Demonstrate the ability to strike

and do harm to the target Demonstrate a commitment and

the resolve to continue the fight until the goal is achieved


A Terrorist Recruiter

Emerge with the perception of being unrelenting freedom fighters for a just and noble cause supported by the oppressed masses rising-up against a cruel and brutal regime


Terrorism Support Base

Actual terrorists

Active supporters

Passive supporters

Sympathizers


Media Coverage and the Terrorist Agenda

The media are (mostly unwilling) allies of the terrorists• media want the ‘story’• terrorists want their ‘message’ spread

Media have a lot of control over the impact of terrorist activity


The Terrorists’ Impact Facilitated by the Media

Terrorist strive to amplify the impact of their actions

Media play an important role• perspective of media coverage

including descriptive language• prevalence of media coverage

• number of media sources• duration of coverage• detail of coverage


Importance of Language

Selection of specific words has an important impact on the perception of events• cognitive• emotional

Language can either favorably or unfavorably portray the same event


What’s in a Word?

Consider the following words• freedom fighter• insurgent• terrorist

(positive connotation)

(neutral connotation)

(negative connotation)


Words to Soften the Impact

near miss casualties

collateral damage

detainee

near crash killed or seriously

injured civilians killed or

injured (civilian casualties)

prisoner


Similar Denotations—Different Conations

Positive• freedom fighter• liberator• peacekeeper

More Neutral• insurgent• kill

Descriptive Label• antiabortion• reproductive choice

Negative• terrorist• invader• occupier

Less Neutral• rebel• murder

Propaganda Label• ProLife• ProChoice


Subtle but Important

Liberator—good Invader—bad Foreign Invader—worse

“foreign” invader has a special connotation in the Middle East; it unites otherwise belligerent Arabic factions to fight the “common enemy” and may form the basis for a Jihad and martyrdom


Other Important Choices in Word Selection

•Crusader•Infidel•Jihad

Anti-Western RhetoricThese terms are commonly used in the Arabic media

and the last term is sometimes used worldwide.The terms have different implications for Arabic and Western cultures.


Different Portrayals of the Same Event

Terrorists detonated an improvised explosive device near the hospital of the peacekeeping forces. There were numerous U.S. military and Iraqi casualties from the explosion. The insurgents continue their indiscriminant attack of U.S. facilities without regard for strategic value. (American media version)

Freedom fighters detonated a bomb near the base of the crusaders. The tremendous blast killed several of the foreign occupiers and severely injured many more of their collaborators. The resistance fighters continue to carry the Jihad to the camps of the foreign invaders leaving the infidels no safe haven. (Arabic media version)


Stupid Blunder or Deliberate Setup?

In Arabic nations, the colors of flags have widely recognized meanings.

Green, white and black denote Islam -- harkening back to the battle banners of the medieval Islamic dynasties of the Fatimids, Ummayads and Abbasids. Green is said to have been the prophet Muhammad's favorite color; the Saudi, Libyan, Algerian and Mauritanean flags are completely or largely green.

The only Arab League members to have any blue in their flag are the African nations of Djibouti and Somalia.

US-picked Iraqi leaders declare a new flag that breaks with Hussein -- and the rest of Arab world. By Lee Keath, Associated Press | April 26, 2004 [excerpts]


How to Lose the Propaganda War

Cultural insensitivity often aids the terrorists• Re-design of the Iraqi flag using the color of the Israeli

flag (blue) feeds the perception of Zionist conquest• President Bush’s use of the term “crusade” inflamed the

Moslem world• Western world--noble, righteous cause• Islamic world--invasion by infidels

• Osama bin Laden had already referred to the “Zionists/Crusaders in his 1998 fatwa and elsewhere


U.S. PsyOps and Intell No-Brainers

“Surrender or die” in Afghanistan Air strike called in by Afghan warlord

on wedding party “Crusade” to liberate Iraq “He’s a terrorist!” accusation by other

Iraqi prisoners “We are here to kill you. Come out

and fight” (Falluja offensive)?


More Choice Terms

Detention center vs. prison Enemy combatant vs. POW

(also has legal distinction) Intensive interrogation vs. torture Execution vs. murder


“Bad” Language from Lazy Mouths

Terrorism vs. terror Suicide bomber vs. homicide

bomber

Poor word choices, but probably don’t change the meaning. (Both from Fox News?)


Language Economy can Change the Emphasis

Beheading—method of execution formerly used in France and some Middle Eastern countries• quick & painless

Cutting off the head [of a live victim]—gruesome method of killing someone• much slower & much more painful


The Language “Battleground”

Terrorism is ‘fought’ in the psychological realm—perception is everything

Word choice and narrative have an important influence on the psychological impact

Don’t concede the language ‘war’—fight on all fronts


Media Wars & Pandering to an Audience

Left-wing, right-wing slant• Some “news” presentations are

obviously biased, pandering to an existing audience

• Other “news” presentations may appear neural but attempt to persuade by subtle propaganda

• “Fair and balanced” or fairly balancing? (the Fox spins too)


Tacit Support of the Terrorist Organization

Graphic portrayal of the injustice Personification of the terrorists’ target

as evil and inhumane Presentation of the terrorists as

• representing the suppressed• a rational, goal-directed organization• minimizing harm to innocent people• (and on the side of God, if possible)


Information Sources

News Media Government Sources Internet First-hand accounts Personal experience


News Sources

Broadcast Media• television• radio• Internet

Printed Media• newspapers• magazines


American-Based Television Networks

Broadcast• ABC• CBS• Fox• NBC• PBS

Cable • CNN/CNN

Headline News• CSPAN• Fox News• MSNBC/CNBC


Non-American Satellite Networks

English Language• British

• BBC/BBC World• Granada• Sky News

• Canadian (regional broadcast/cable)

• CBC• CTV

Arabic Language• Qatar

• Al Jazeera

• United Arab Emirates• Al Arabiya


Newspapers

American (National Distribution)• Christian Science

Monitor• LA Times• New York Times• U.S.A. Today• Wall Street Journal• Washington Post

Non-American (English Language)• International Herald

Tribune• The Times (London)

Arabic (with English versions online)• Cairo• Lebanon


News Wire Services

Associated Press (AP) Reuters


Government Information Sources

White House, Pentagon & related press offices

Senate & House committees Government web sites Government reports Individual government officials


Internet Information Sources

Media linked (e.g., ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN)

Government• United States (e.g., FBI, State Department)

• Foreign (e.g., British Home Office, MI-5)

Non-government• organizations (FAS, Rand Corporation)

• companies (e.g., Black Hawk Security)

• individuals (www.PsychologyofTerrorism.com)


Information Bias

All information sources direct their presentations to an intended audience• Some risk losing their intended audiences if

they present inaccurate information • Others pander to the bias of their intended

audience and risk losing their audience if they present unbiased reports

Some media ‘sell’ sensationalism All media want the ‘big story’


Evaluating Sources of Information

Use a variety of information sources

Note how the same information is presented differently by different sources

Recognize that even biased information sources have some ‘grain of truth’ in their reporting


Evaluating Sources of Information, continued

Recognize the motivation of the reporting agency and examine its possible bias• nobody does it for “free”

• mass media may be ‘selling newspapers’ or pushing their own social-political agenda

• government and other sources may be amplifying, blunting, or filtering the information for propaganda purposes


Analyzing Information

Use common sense and logic Remember that bias is present both

in the information source AND in the recipient of the information• avoid prejudice and stereotypes• try to negate psychological processes

that distort information processing• seek feedback for reality testing


Media Censorship of ‘Sensitive’ Stories

Media self-censorship• verifying story & factual information• considering impact of story

• softening impact• omitting story

Government censorship• limiting media access• ‘clearing’ news stories


Open Source Information

During World War II, German spies often used public sources for acquiring intelligence

During the Cold War, Soviet spies often used public sources for acquiring intelligence; the same information was classified in the Soviet Union


Compromising Information from the Media?

5,000 U.S. troops are taking part in the Mosel offensive

U.S. estimates there are 7,000 insurgents in Mosel

U.S. troops had to be moved from protecting Basara

Offensive uses many Humvees vulnerable to low angle IEDs


Terrorist Setup?

One surrendering resistance fighter innocently killed is worth scores of enemy dead

One ‘innocent’ woman and child killed at a roadside checkpoint ‘buys’ hundreds of new terrorist supporters


The Media as the Terrorists’ Ally

Terrorism is all about perception• perception of the ‘just cause’ the

terrorists are fighting for• perception that the “ends justify the

means” (and there is no alternative)• perception of popular support for the

terrorists’ ‘cause’• perception of the severity of the terrorist

threat


The Media “Battleground”

Media have a profound influence on the perception of events• much of the ‘war’ is fought in the media

• propaganda is a primary weapon• everybody spins the story

• a successful “war on terrorism” requires controlling the spin and winning the propaganda ‘war’

terrorism and the media amplifying the terrorists' impact: the media as unwilling allies to the...

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