Reporting On Terrorism: The Role of The Media To Shape Public Opinion
Austin Bay offers an interesting view on the role of the media in promoting the efforts of terrorists.
“[W]inning the global war against Islamist terror ultimately means accomplishing two things: denying the terrorists’ weapons of mass destruction and curbing what is currently Al Qaeda’s greatest strategic capability: media magnification and occasional media enhancement of its bombing campaigns and political theatrics.”
We see the media wielding a double-edged sword. On one hand, it does “magnify” (and amplify) certain people, stories and events that might otherwise not be very newsworthy. On the other hand, the media also works to downplay people, stories and events that are deserving of greater scrutiny and widespread public attention.
The reporting of NOLA is a perfect example. Since Katrina struck, we’ve all read the daily news covering the finger-pointing, accusing the Bush administration of everything from failing to perform and racism. Yet, we’ve seen no serious reporting from the MSM examining the failing of Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin. It’s pure media bias, and they determine the weightings.
The same goes for reporting on Iraq. The media focuses on the negative and obscures the positive. And, when it comes to critical reporting of hostile nations in the Middle East, they’re entirely absent.
As it relates, AllThingsConservative has an interesting post about Iran Fighting Britain in Iraq. As Bill Crawford recommends, “the MSM needs to focus on this more.”
And then some.
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WordUnheard has another story worth reading…