Answer

• The Role of the Media in Terrorism

              In the past decade, a lot of occurrences have proven that there is a mutually beneficial relationship between terrorism and the media. Some terrorist attacks in history have shown how terrorists can exploit the media to use it for information, operational efficiency, recruitments, and spreading propaganda. Hence, terrorists target the use of the media to enable them to get attention and recognition in the public eye. In return, the media also benefits as it receives the same attention from the public whenever it airs stories on such terrorist groups and activities, thereby enjoying increased sales and an extended audience. Hence, it is argued that the media plays a positive role in encouraging terrorism since it is used as a tool for spreading their agenda further.

  The Media as a Tool for Terrorists

              Although media houses believe that they are helping to fight crime by sharing news of the attacks and other terrorist activities, this may not be the case. If the media coverage fails to share a criminal act, its impact will be wasted. It will only remain known to the immediate victims of the attack rather than the terrorist’s target audience (Tulga, 2020). Terrorist groups tend to target the wider audience since they want to be feared and be famous for recruits (Taylor & Swanson, 2018). This is why terrorists will often target the areas where they know that their actions will be covered in the media (Godefroidt & Langer, 2020). Therefore, since the media houses are also chasing their own unique goals, they help to promote the activities of the criminal groups indirectly.

              After terrorist acts have occurred and the media has aired the story, it only takes a few days before terrorist groups share videos where they claim responsibility. This shows that their main goal is not just to win the attention of the public. That is because they use such opportunities to communicate their political cause and inform allies and foes of their motives (Godefroidt & Langer, 2020). Many will also explain why they have resorted to the use of violence. Hence, the media acts as a tool that levels the field for the terrorist groups. Instead of the group being treated as inferior and less powerful, it is often portrayed as being equally powerful to the legal groups (Taylor & Swanson, 2018). This way, the media creates an atmosphere of fear where individuals feel helpless despite having the government’s protection.

              The means used for communication by terrorists tend to vary. Technological advancements have made it easier for such groups to make use of media tools conveniently (Tulga, 2020). Through websites, for instance, a message can be shared with the whole world, and not just a single country. This has further enhanced the power held by these terrorist groups as they become famous and feared all over the world (Godefroidt & Langer, 2020). Besides, sharing messages in the form of videos is also quite simple through sites such as Youtube. It gives them an avenue for sharing graphic videos that media houses may not be permitted to air.

  Conclusion

              Overall, the media has had quite an influence in promoting acts of terrorism. This is simplified by the fact that both parties have similar goals, even though they may not be trying to promote the same act. By sharing stories of criminal activities, the media acts as a tool that can be easily manipulated to send messages about acts of terrorism to the public.