Terrorism and the Media

Terrorism and the Media
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Terrorism and the Media
Broadcasting terrorism activities and successes may psychologically impact individuals. Evidence has revealed that such broadcasting may cause trauma to the major categories of individuals involved in the terrorism activity (Jetter, 2017). These include the first responders, recovery teams, victims, and the general population. Let us start with a closer look at the victims. The victims are already overwhelmed by the fact that they are under siege by the terrorists. They are so scared and unsure of whether they are going to make it alive. Psychologically, they may be impacted both positively or negatively when the terrorism activity is broadcasted. The positive impact is brought about by the hope that through the broadcast, the rescuers will arrive on the scene as soon as possible and carry out the rescue mission. On the other hand, they may be traumatized by such broadcasting since they may fear that the broadcasting will encourage the terrorists to execute their plan faster. Evidence has shown that the first responders may not be significantly affected by the broadcasting. The reason behind this phenomenon is that the responders are mainly trained personnel. Despite this fact, the first responders may be anxious if the media is covering their activities because the same may relay crucial information to the terrorists.
When it comes to the general public, the major psychological effect is the likelihood of having distorted views about justice. The broadcast may create fear and anxiety in the general public and make them believe that they live in an unjust society. If the broadcasted information was negative, they are particularly likely to be worried about their well-being since they may not know where and when the next attack will be. The broadcasting of terrorism activity may also have positive psychological impacts on the general population. This phenomenon is particularly true in situations where the information being broadcasted was a successful retaliation to the terrorist activity. There were many situations when the police and other special agencies were able to thwart terrorist activity. Such successes create hope and joy for the general population. While it may not seem much, evidence has shown that the general population is likely to be more hopeful and have greater trust in the government when it comes to dealing with terrorist activities.
In my opinion, media broadcasts should be limited to reduce potential impacts on victims and non-victims. Often, media broadcasts give the terrorists to have a glimpse of everything that is happening in regard to the terrorist activity. Due to this information, the terrorists may fine-tune their plan as they are aware of everything that is happening. The people who suffer the most when it comes to such broadcasts are the victims. The more the activity is broadcasted, the more the victims are in danger. Take, for instance, the impact of broadcasting such crucial matters as the entry of the special forces may have on the victims. Due to the broadcasting, the terrorists are likely to have crucial information such as when the special f...