BENUE STATE UNIVERSITY, MAKURDI POSTGRADUATE … · disconcerting news that keeps readers, listeners, and viewers captivated, that which bolsters the circulation of the print press

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BENUE STATE UNIVERSITY, MAKURDI

POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL

DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION

COURSE TITLE: BROADCAST SEMINAR

COURSE CODE: COM 702

TOPIC:

Terrorism and The Mass Media in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: Trends,

Challenges and the way forward

BY

IDYOROUGH, SOLATA MDEI----------BSU/MAC/M.SC/12/6437

COURSE LECTURER: KOMBOL, M. A. Ph.D.

FEBRUARY 2014

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ABSTRACT

This paper “Terrorism and the Mass Media in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: Trends,

Challenges and the way forward” discusses how the media wants dramatic, shocking,

disconcerting news that keeps readers, listeners, and viewers captivated, that which

bolsters the circulation of the print press and the ratings of the electronic media.

Terrorists on the other hand need to spread their propaganda to further their

ultimate political objectives. With each having its objective, the news media and

terrorists now, are not involved in a love story; rather they are strange bedfellows in a

marriage of convenience. This work focuses on traditional media (radio, television and

newspapers) and has excluded the internet; the world wide system of interconnected

networks, using the telecommunications infrastructure, that now supports a large number

of types of computer based communication exchanges including consultation of data-

bases, websites and homepages, conversational interactions, e-mail e.t.c this is so

because the internet may seem to be taking over many functions of ‘traditional’ mass

media but access to the internet is still restricted by cost to the user, plus barriers of

language, culture and computer literacy. The paper recommends that to divest

terrorism of religious coloration is through well packaged information and

mass education especially through the media about the subject with particular

attention being focused on the fact that no known religion endorses

terrorism overtly or tacitly.

Key words: Terrorism, mass media, Nigeria’s Fourth Republic

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INTRODUCTION

The mass media has shriveled the distance in the world, turning it into a global village in the

sense that we easily have access to information of things happening around the globe just as such

events are occurring due to the functional role of the mass media in the provision of adequate

information about ongoing or current events in society as a way of serving the public need to

know. The news media, in particular, serve this basic human needs by providing information on

what, who, why and where of a particular event, which the media consider worthy of relaying to

the public. Indeed, it is possible to argue that there is no particular time the public is more in

need of information from the media than when the safety, or even the survival, of the public is

threatened. In the last decade we have been flooded with news from and about the

Global War on Terror. The attention of the world was drawn to Nigeria when a 23 year old

Nigerian Farouk Abdulmuttalab attempted to bomb an airline in the United States of America

December 2009. Nigeria was then looked upon as one of the “terrorist nations” by America and

some other nations. Though Nigeria’s name was later removed from the list of terrorist nations

after strong diplomatic meetings, the facts at our hands now with Boko Haram (Islamic religious

sect) series of bombings have put back Nigeria’s name of terrorist nations.

The emphasis generally has been on the perpetrators of acts of terrorism and the fight

against them. Terrorists have learned to

make good use of mass media; they use it for political manipulation. In recent years,

character of the news on the one hand a public good and on the other a commercial

commodity has shifted more and more towards the commodity side with the result that

we get more “info‐tainment” and “info-horror shows”.

Both grab the attention of the public and create greater audiences, offering more

opportunities for commercial advertisements to be sold to a news‐hungry public. Marshall

McLuhan, one of the most celebrated researchers on the social impact of the mass media, came

to the relatively precocious conclusion that “without Communication terrorism would not

exist.” Torres Soriano (2008) also agreed that this short sentence holds a truth that has remained

unchanged during the last decades. It is not uncommon to cite the relationship between the

diffusion of terrorist messages and the existence of modern mass media. Terrorism,

however, did widely exist before the mass media did.

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Keghku and Edema (2012) opined that Over the years, across the states of Nigeria, there had

been uproars, restiveness, clashes between communities, killings, abductions, bombing, among

too numerous sorts of societal assaults and criminal activities as they may be described by the

generality of the people in relation to what the laws of the land can accommodate. Whereas, to

the perpetrators, these are normal activities that can help in the pursuance and achievement of

some personal desirability and aggrandizements, and get repositioned in the society. This work

focuses on traditional media (radio, television and newspapers) and has excluded the internet; the

world wide system of interconnected networks, using the telecommunications infrastructure, that

now supports a large number of types of computer based communication exchanges including

consultation of data-bases, websites and homepages, conversational interactions, e-mail e.t.c this

is so because the internet may seem to be taking over many functions of ‘traditional’ mass media

but access to the internet is still restricted by cost to the user, plus barriers of language, culture

and computer literacy. We need to ask ourselves if there is a symbiotic relationship between

terrorism and the media. What kinds of relationships exist between terrorist groups and the

media? We shall also see how publicity benefits terrorists, and how the media benefits from the

acts of terrorists. The present paper will attempt to answer these questions.

CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATION

TERRORISM

Terrorism is from the word 'terror' which conjures the image of fear and trepidation. It is

an act intended to instill fear and submission in the targeted victim(s). It is usually

unprovoked, random and unpredictable while its commonest form is bombing. It could

also take the form of hijacking of commercial aircraft, kidnapping, assassination, gun attack,

arson and frontal assaults on important state institutions. When does a certain act of violence

meet the definition of terrorism? To provide an answer to this question, we need to draw a clear

distinction between a “common” criminal and a terrorist (Nacos, 2002). The simplest way to

understand the difference is that common criminals do not engage in illegal activities in order to

make a political statement, while this is precisely what terrorists do. In order to assure that their

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intended “statement” reaches as wide an audience as possible, terrorists often use violence to

attract the attention of the media (Nacos, 2002).

According to the United Nations General Assembly:

“Terrorism can be seen as criminal acts intended or calculated to

provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons

or particular persons for political purposes whatever the

considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial,

ethnic, religious or other nature that may be invoked to justify

them” (as quoted by Koh 2002: 148).

Sambe (2014) defined terrorism as:

The use of violent action in order to achieve political aim or to

force the government to act. It is also all criminal acts directed

against a state and intended or calculated to create a state of fear

in the minds of particular persons or group of personal or the

general public.

This therefore means that the act of terrorism is often a calculated and planned

form of action in which the perpetrator has an intended message to pass to their

audience. It is not just the mere satisfaction of causing harm but the demand the

terrorist want met. Terrorism is more all-pervading as it could be employed

by virtually any aggrieved person or persons irrespective of ideological

persuasions to further a cause (just or unjust).

MASS MEDIA

The mass media are taken to encompass newspapers, radio, television, internet and

telephones but other important forms of communications include books, films,

music, theatre and the visual arts.

NIGERIA’S FOURTH REPUBLIC

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Nigeria’s fourth republic refers to the present democratic era starting from 1999 to

date without any military intrusion rule.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

1. To ascertain if any relationship exist between terrorist groups and the media

2. To what extent does publicity benefit terrorists, and how the media benefits from the acts

of terrorists?

3. To find out If there is a symbiotic relationship between terrorism and the media.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study seeks to answer the following posers:

1. What kinds of relationships exist between terrorist groups and the media?

2. How does publicity benefit terrorists, and how the media benefits from the acts of

terrorists viz a viz.

3. To find out If there is a symbiotic relationship between terrorism and the media.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Despite volumes of books, articles and studies of terrorism, there has been scant investment

made in developing a theory of terrorism. Instead, scholars and practitioners devote their efforts

to writing about the history of terrorism, examining a variety of terrorist movements, discussing

the influence of political ideologies and religious belief on terrorists’ motives, dissecting their

operational environments, or analyzing the psychological makeup of terrorists. This has resulted

in a broken looking glass approach to understanding terrorism whereby each fragment casts a

portion of the image but not a complete likeness. As Richard Schultz points out, there has been

intense study of terrorism, but the literature has been “primarily descriptive, prescriptive and

very emotive in form.” This is still the case three decades after Schultz made that assertion, and

such an approach continues to suggest why terrorism is often simply understood as a tactic.

Akinwalere (2013) opines that to fully understand the role of broadcasting in global terrorism

takes us back to media studies on media effect. Originally, the media were thought to be all

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powerful and omnipotent; and this form the basis of initial attempt to use the media to promote

development. Two of the most important media theories in the context of this paper are

agenda setting and framing.

Agenda Setting Theory

Agenda Setting Theory is credited to two researchers Donald Shaw and Maxwell McCombs in

the 1970s who studied people’s reactions to election campaigns through the media (1972, p.

176). Agenda setting is the theory that the more attention a media outlet pays to a certain

phenomenon, the more importance the public attributes to such an issue. (Terrorism & the

Media 2008) In news, an item occurs more than only bringing up certain topics. The way in

which the news is brought, the frame in which the news is presented, is also a choice made by

journalists. Hence, the agenda-setting function of the mass media implies a potentially massive

influence. The basic claim of agenda-setting theory is that people’s understanding of much of

social reality is copied from the media. The agenda-setting function of the media is regarded as

beneficial for the individual and for society. After all, it fulfills a need of the citizens to

orientate themselves properly toward their environment, an environment that is perceived by

them to be ever expanding. Asogwa et al (2012) posit that this theory is significant in analyzing

terrorism and the media because terrorists and international criminals know the power of the

mass media and therefore use them to their advantage by committing destructive activities or

crimes which the media have to report. In this respect the media need the terrorists and the

terrorists need the media to reach out to the public.

Public Right to Information Principle

The mass media are regarded as the “Fourth Estate of the Realm”. It goes to show the important

place the press or the mass media occupy in the world affairs. It is the basic duty of the media to

inform, educate and entertain the public. Under these basic functions media practitioners now

strongly believe that the people have the right to know what is happening around them. This

principle has opened the gates to all sorts of information distribution to the public not minding

their negative effects on the public.

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REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

History of Terrorist Attacks in Nigeria’s Nascent Democracy

Copeland (2013) noted that Boko Haram emerged from the northern Nigeria state of Borno.

'Boko' is a Hausa word which means book (especially Western or foreign) while 'Haram' is

an Arabic word meaning 'forbidden', 'ungodly' or 'sinful'. If the words are pieced together,

'Boko Haram' literally means 'book is sinful' (Danjibo, 2009:7 and Adesoji, 2010:100).

But fundamentally the import is that Western education/civilization is sinful, sacrilegious or

ungodly and should be forbidden. Thus Boko Haram stands for outright rejection of

Western education, Western culture and modern science. Rather it advocates the propagation

of strict adherence to Islam in its purest form. Boko Haram represents the vision and mission

of a fundamentalist Islamic movement in Nigeria. The sect known as Jama'atu Ahlis

Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad (people committed to the propagation of the prophet's

teachings and Jihad) seeks to Islamize Nigeria by whatever means at its disposal and at

whatever human cost. This brings in the terrorism angle. So far the dastardly activities of this

sect have been confined to the Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory but there are

indications that the scope may widen with time and more logistic support. Some reports link the

insurgency with earlier iterations of Islamist groups that opposed the Nigerian state but lacked

the international notoriety of the current organization. These accounts associate Boko Haram

with small resistance groups composed of young men that began to congregate in the mid-

1990s, led initially by Abubakar Lawan and later by the pseudonymous Aminu Tashen

Ilimi (“new way of knowledge”). However, a coherent group identity cannot be established until

Mohammed Yusuf, a charismatic Nigerian cleric, gained prominence among local youth in

Maiduguri, Borno’s capital. As Forest (2012) notes, Boko Haram is largely a local phenomenon,

though one with strategic implications, and must be understood and addressed within its local

context and the long standing grievances that motivate terrorist activity. Forest (2012) deftly

explores Nigeria’s ethnic fissures and the role of unequal distribution of power in fueling

terrorism. Boko Haram has increasingly attacked Christian citizens rather than limiting their

offensives to government facilities and personnel. In particular, churches and schools have been

targeted, deepening sectarian tensions across the country.

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The Mass Media and Terrorism

Some terrorist groups engage in violence as a means of gaining popular support for their causes

or organizations. The media is drawn to cover terrorism because terrorism evokes important

news values. In doing so, media outlets may also provide terrorists with an outlet to air their

grievances to a larger audience (Hoffman, 2006). A terrorist organization may hope that attacks

will convince potential supporters or sympathizers that the organization is capable of inflicting

substantial harm or demonstrate that the organization is more effective than rival groups in

challenging the authorities (Chenoweth, 2010; Kydd & Walter, 2006). It is commonly claimed

that terrorists and the media both benefit from high levels of media attention to terrorism

(Hoffman, 2006). Terrorists gain from media attention that communicates their goals and

grievances to a wider audience. The media gain larger audiences because, as previously

discussed, terrorist attacks tap many of the characteristics that communication research identifies

as important for media attention.

Both national and international media are now making series of headlines on Boko Haram’s

terrorist activities (Ibrahim, 2011, pp.14-20).

REVIEW OF EMPIRICAL STUDIES

Ross (2007) noted that the majority of scholarly research on the connection between terrorism

and the news media has appeared in the form of articles in peer-reviewed journals or chapters in

scholarly books. Less frequent are stand-alone monographs. There is a striking similarity among

these monographs; they cover many of the same topics and often reprint well-cited journal

articles, therefore adding little new information.

However, Ajayi Adegboyega (2012) in his review ‘Boko Haram’ and Terrorism in Nigeria:

Exploratory and Explanatory noted that terrorism exists in Nigeria unfortunately the greatest

causalities in this deadly war are the innocent impoverished masses that do not have the

wherewithal to secure themselves and their properties. This and the unprovoked attacks on

churches and Christians by the terrorists, ostensibly to actualize the complete islamisation

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of the North, makes Boko Haram’s terrorist activities unjustifiable and criminal given the

secular status of Nigeria. Poverty and vagrancy have no religions boundaries just as the

oppressors too cut across ethnic or religious divides. Ajayi concludes that the extent of chaos

and instability that would ensue if every religious persuasions decides to drive their

vision and mission through violence is better imagined. Therefore he recommends stripping

terrorism of religious coloration through well packaged information and mass education

especially through the media about the subject with particular attention being focused on the

fact that no known religion endorses terrorism overtly or tacitly. But also warns that for as

long as acts of terrorism are glorified by indiscreet mass media coverage it will be very

difficult to curtail them. It should be noted that capturing headlines gives psychological

boost to the perpetrators.

Weimann (1991) exposed subjects in an experimental study to varied media coverage of terrorist

actions. He found that levels of support for terrorism were generally quite low, but increased if

the press coverage presented the terrorist organization as “brave,” “just,” “good,” or “kind.” A

recent paper by Lemieux and Asal (2009) implemented a more sophisticated experimental

design. Subjects were exposed to vignettes of fictional personal experiences and asked if they

would respond by engaging in violence, by engaging in peaceful political activity, or by doing

nothing. These vignettes varied in the degree of risk from each action and in the type of

grievance the respondent held against the authorities. Controlling for other factors, the study

found that participants exposed to stronger grievances are more likely to engage in both violence

and peaceful protests and to believe that both of these actions were justified. Schmid (2012)

opined that

terrorists target civilians partly because they are easier targets than the security forces.

They also target them because sudden, unprovoked attacks on innocent

people peacefully leading their daily lives creates shock, terror and confusion but al

so anger far beyond the immediate victims. But this has run contrary to what is obtainable

in Nigeria as noted in the table below as compiled by Ajayi (2012):

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Table. Instances of Boko Haram Attacks: July 2009 to April 2012.

Serial

No

Date Incidents (Nature and Location) Casualty

Figures

1 July 26,

2009

Boko Haram (BH) launched attack on Police Station in

Bauchi triggering a five day uprising that spread to

Maiduguri

Not

Available

(NA)

2 September

7, 2010

BH attacked a prison in Bauchi and freed 700 inmates

former sect members inclusive

5 guards

killed

3 October

11, 2010

Bomb/Gun attack on a Police Station in Maiduguri by the

group

3 persons

injured

4 December

24, 2010

Bomb attack in Jos 8 people

killed

instantly

5 December

28, 2010

BH claims responsibility for the Christmas eve bombing in

Jos

38 people

died in all

6 December

31, 2010

Attack on Mammy market at Army Mogadishu Barracks,

Abuja

11 people

died

7 April 11,

2011

BH attacked Police Station in Bauchi N.A

8 April 9,

2011

BH bombed a Polling Centre in Maiduguri N.A

9 April 20,

2011

Bombing in Maiduguri 1 Policeman

killed

10 April 22,

2011

BH attacked a Prison in Yola and freed 14 prisoners N.A

11 April 24, Four bombs detonated in Maiduguri 3 people

12

2011 killed

12 May 29,

2011

Bombing of Army Barracks in Bauchi and Maiduguri 15 people

killed

13 May 31,

2011

Assassination of Abba Anas Ibn Umar Garbai, brother of

the Shehu of Borno in Maiduguri

1 person

killed

14 June 1,

2011

Assassination of Abba El-Kanenu-Shehu of Borno’s

brother in

Maiduguri

1 person

killed

15 June 7,

2011

Parallel Gun and bomb attacks on a church and police

stations in Maiduguri

5 people

killed

16 June 16,

2011

BH bombed Police Headquarters in Abuja Casualty

reports vary

17 June 26,

2011

Bomb attack on a Bar in Maiduguri 25 people

killed

18 August 16,

2011

Bombing of United Nations Office Complex in Abuja Over 34

people killed

19 December

25, 2011

Bombing of St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla Over 46

people killed

20 January 6,

2012

BH attacked some Southerners in Mubi 13 people

killed

21 January 21,

2012

Multiple bomb blasts rocked Kano city Over 185

people killed

22 January 29,

2012

Bombing of a Police Station at Naibawa area of Yakatabo,

Kano State

N.A

23 February 8,

2012

Bomb blast rocked Army Headquarters in Kaduna N.A

24 February

15, 2012

Attack on Koton Karfe Prison, Kogi State in which 119

prisoners were freed

1 Warder

killed

13

25 February

19, 2012

Bomb blast near Christ Embassy Church, in Suleija, Niger

State

5 people

injured

26 February

26, 2012

Bombing of Church of Christ in Nigeria, Jos 2 people

killed and 38

injured

27 March 8,

2012

An Italian – Franco Lamolinara; and a Briton Christopher

McManus expatriate staff of Stabilim Visioni Construction

Company abducted since mid-2011 were killed by a

splinter group of BH.

2 people

killed

28 March 11,

2012

Bombing of St. Finbarr’s Catholic Church Rayfield, Jos 11 people

killed and

many injured

29 April 26,

2012

Bombing of three media Houses:

(a) This Day, Abuja,

(b) This Day; The Sun and The Moments in Kaduna

Abuja.

5 people

killed and 13

injured

3 people

killed and

many injured

in

Kaduna.

30 April 29,

2012

Attack on Bayero University, Kano 16 people

killed and

many injured

31 April 30,

2012

Bomb explosion in Jalingo 11 people

killed and

several

others

Wounded

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Source: Collated from: Punch, 17, June 2011; Punch, 23 February, 2012; Punch, 27 February,

2012; Guardian, 20 February, 2012, Guardian, 12 March, 2012; Nigerian Tribune 30, January

2012; Punch, 27 April, 2012; Punch 30, April 2012; and, Guardian, 1st May, 2012.

The relationship between terrorism and the media

Bilgen (2012) observed that the reason why the media covers terrorism-related stories is because

terrorism is an attractive boon for media coverage as such coverage makes viewer ratings surge

and profits increase. This perspective holds that terrorists and media outlets have a symbiotic

relationship in which both can benefit from media attention to terrorism. Cohen-Almagor (2005)

stated that there is a delicate relationship between terrorists and the media. Free speech and free

media- the basic instruments of every democracy provide terrorists the publicity they need to

inform the public about their operations and goals. So often times the media has been accused of

being the terrorist’s best friend. Or seen like an ill-mannered enfant terrible, is the media’s

stepchild, a stepchild which the media, unfortunately, can neither completely ignore nor deny”

(Tuman, 2003:115). Thus Dowling (1986) goes far as arguing that terrorists owe their existence

to the media in liberal societies. Terrorists use their immediate victims and material targets for

semiotic and symbolic purposes (Lewis 2005). Most terrorists worldwide today value modern

media of communication very highly because through them their ideologies and the results of

their deadly attacks are communicated to the public locally and internationally. These makes the

terrorists popular and feared. And the media are happy to relay terrorists’ events to the public,

because they consider them newsworthy. BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera, Press TV, NTAI, Channels and

many other media organizations (including print) on daily basis write and broadcast terrorists’

activities. Prime time and Front headlines are often devoted to crimes and terrorists events under

Agenda – Setting platform. The terrorist’s need for media publicity and media’s need for a

greater audience and profits form a symbiotic relationship between terrorism and the media.

The media has achieved the above mentioned insinuations by way of status conferral.

Dominick (1993:602) defines status conferral as a process by which media attention bestows a

degree of prominence on certain issues or individuals. Kombol (2012), Sambe (2013), Ishor

(2013) posits that the media confers prestige on members of the society by way of eulogizing,

promoting and encouraging such people. This is through constant featuring of the people in the

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media. This gives the people self-confidence and an air of importance in the same way; it can

sweep people and issues under carpet.

Most terrorists commit acts of violence to get access to the news system. The more atr

ocious their terrorist attack, the more publicity they tend to get from the media.

CONCLUSION

The media no doubt has to perform their surveillance duty by giving us information we need to

live, and warn us about dangers to our state of living. They (media) are supposed to be the

watch-dogs of the society (Hoffmann, 2006). However, the media’s dysfunction with regards to

crime and terrorism make people think that the world is unsafe to live in. This is because most

people believe that what the media present to them is absolute truth. The pictures about events in

the world presented by mass media are therefore seen as authentic.

Terrorists injure and kill in a demonstrative way to frighten the public. The

murders are mostly de-individualized: almost anybody could be a victim. The anonymity of

terrorist killings is an expression of their disrespect for human lives. Any nation with poor

national security would always be greeted with volumes of conflicts that would divert the

government’s attention from carrying out developmental policies and their execution. Many

countries today are faced with criminal and terrorists activities leading to heavy human casualties

and destruction of natural resources. Many people would not like to invest or do business with a

country noted for terrorists’ attacks or conflicts. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also noted

this in his 18 page letter to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan titled ‘Before it is too late’

stating that investors are already retreating from Nigeria, adopting “wait and see attitude” and

knowing what we are deficient of, it will take time to reverse the trend and we may miss some

golden opportunities. The governments in such places have no time to devote their energy for

constructive developments that would lift the living standard of the people. In Nigeria for

example, the Niger-Delta crisis seriously affected the economy of the nation. Most of the oil

wells or industries did not function as expected and as such Nigeria could not export enough

crude oil as expected. However, with the introduction of amnesty for the militant groups relative

peace has returned to the area, and export rate of the crude oil has improved. Similarly, the Boko

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Haram group, based in Borno State, is causing havoc almost on daily basis in the nation’s capital

Abuja and many parts of the States in the north (Ibrahim, 2011). Meaningful developments in

such areas are put on hold. Attention is now diverted to finding solutions to the Boko Haram

saga. The national security is really at stake with this terrorists group that hates western

education.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In his letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo noted that one

single prescription cannot cure all these ailments that combine in Boko Haram. Therefore, the

following recommendations have been proffered:

1. One way of divesting terrorism of religious coloration is through well packaged

information and mass education especially through the media about the subject with

particular attention being focused on the fact that no known religion endorses

terrorism overtly or tacitly. But for as long as acts of terrorism are glorified by

indiscreet mass media coverage it will be very difficult to curtail them (Ajayi, 2012). It

should be noted that capturing headlines gives psychological boost to the

perpetrators for as Scarpetti and Andersen (1992) have rightly observed, acts of

terrorism usually includes the quest for publicity (Scarpetti and Anderson, 1992:96-

97). This is especially so in this new age when improved communication has

reduced the world into a global village. The mass media, therefore, have a

responsibility not to sensationalize acts of terrorism but to condemn them in unmistakable

terms.

2. Ajayi (2012) adds that Government must also give positive consideration to the

increasingly popular demand for a national conference as a credible platform for

ascertaining prevalent grievances of the diverse ethno-religious groups for possible

remediation. This is very important because even if Boko Haram threat is

obliterated somehow now, there are several other groups and peoples who are

bidding their time before venting their anger and frustration on the nation and other

hapless people.

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3. Fundamentally government must address the problems of mass unemployment, poverty

and illiteracy concretely in order to deplete the ranks of malcontents who constitute

a ready pool of foot soldiers for criminal activities.

4. The media are expected not simply to report whatever the terrorists are saying. It is the

media’s duty to exercise some judgment and scrutinize the terrorist’s messages. The

media need not play into the hands of terrorism, serving their interests and their political

agenda.

5. The media are advised not to take upon themselves to mediate between the terrorist and

the government. Special qualifications are required before one assumes such a

responsibility upon oneself. Journalists are there to cover the event, not to become part of

it.

6. For the Internet the situation is somewhat different. Self-regulation or education may

help for regular media, but not for reducing the number of terrorist Internet

pages. These are directly controlled either by terrorists themselves or by people or

organizations closely liaised to them. As such they are an actual weapon for terrorist

organizations, instead of – like regular media merely a medium for their messages. In

addition, the new media are thought to be more effective in achieving terrorist objectives

than the old media. Therefore, countering terrorist use of new, directly controlled media

is probably more likely to be accepted, and more likely to be successful in taking

away an actual recruiting mechanism of those organizations.

7. NBC Code 2002 Chapter 3.11.0 on “Violence, cruelty and Horror” should be adhered

to, in creating balance in reportage.

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