The Media and Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century in a World Adrift

Mass communication technologies fundamentally altered how people socially interact, receive information, and comprehend public affairs. For most of the public not directly affected by terrorism, perceptions of extremist violence and radicalization or what constitutes an act of terror are often constructed by the media through ‘framing’—the process by which an abstract concept comes to be constructed and defined in society. This paper explores the complex dynamic between terrorism and the media, limiting how news media outlets and terrorist groups symbiotically interact in democratic institutions. Considering the evolution of digital forms of communication in recent years, the role of the internet and social media platforms are also examined in how terrorist groups leverage these online tools to achieve their goals. The proliferation of mainstream and non-mainstream news sources disseminating conflicting information about the same subject at diverse rates results in different social cohorts possessing inconsistent notions of terrorism that can affect policy outcomes, processes of radicalization, and, ultimately, individual behavior. To implement a proactive counterterrorism strategy, the actors most capable of shaping public perceptions of terrorism must recognize how they impact political communication processes and the potential security consequences that may result from extensive coverage of terrorist acts.