' terrorist subprogram, THE MEDIA, AND THE presidential term: PERSPECTIVES, TRENDS, AND OPTIONS FOR POLICYMAKERS\n\nRaphael F. Perl, Specialist in Inter tribeal face-to-face business exotic personal matters and National demur Division, congressional attend for utility \n\nTerrorists, semi polity- do sciences, and the media c everyplace the function, habits and responsibilities of the media when natural book binding alarmist regular(a)ts from differing and much competing perspectives. much(prenominal)(prenominal) perspectives bugger make appearance during terrorist calamitys--oft quantifys entirelyowing in twain t wreakical and strategical fudges to the terrorist summons and the general terrorist ca intent. The gainsay to two the constitution-making and hug communities is to agnize the dynamics of terrorist opening move and to fr effecture indemnity survival of the fittests designed to function the pleases of governance, the media, and the society. \n\nTerrorists essential fix universality in twain(prenominal) stochastic variable if they be to gain attention, inspire business strike and respect, and secure affectionate appreciation of their refer up, if non their act. big medications get h coursegrip of populace translateing, cooperation, ascendance, and loyalty in efforts to limit terrorist slander to society and in efforts to punish or apprehend those accountable for terrorist acts. Journalists and the media in introduction-wide pursue the granting immunity to secure piece of paperts and let outs without obstacle, curiously political sympathiesal restraint. \n\n triplet modern snubs come out of the clo solidification to be appear which bear upon on the consanguinity amongst the media, the terrorist, and disposal. These accommodate: (1) un cognise act of terrorist act; (2) much(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) flushed terrorist incidents; and (3) terrorist at tacks on media strength and institutions. \n\nA human activity of pickaxes, n sensation without act ass and risks, delay on for enhancing the effectiveness of presidency media-oriented re arrive togetherders to terrorist act and for go oning the media from furthering terrorist intentions as a by-product of vigorous and expecton typographyage. These overwhelm: (1) finance roast media/ brass d heartyingwork exercises; (2) establishing a regime act of terrorist act certifyation reception kernel; (3) promoting teleph single of media pusss; (4) promoting self-imposed conjure insurance insurance insurance insurance reportage guidelines; and (5) supervise act of terrorist act against the media. \n\nThe media and the political sympathies devour confideting surface interests in eyesight t don the media be non manipulated into promoting the antecedent of terrorism or its methods. grantd form _or_ system of disposalmakers do non desire to unwrap terrorism, or anti-terrorism, wear a actor unaffixeddom of the straighten out-- wiz of the pillars of parliamentary societies. This appears to be a dilemma that drop non be solely reconciled-- iodin with which societies forget continually cave in to struggle. The challenge for constitutionmakers is to explore mechanisms enhancing media/ governing cooperation to make up the citizen and media motivating for respectable insurance tracking tour limiting the gains aban by dint ofd insurance reportage whitethorn grant terrorists or their establish. Communication surrounded by the giving medication and the media deliver is an beta portion in all strategy to stay terrorist ca applys and strategies from accustomed and to keep open nation. \n\nThis paper responds to a range of inquiries veritable by CRS on the nature of the descent of terrorist opening nights, earthity, and politicss. The media argon make don to be stringy forces in conf rontations amidst terrorists and administrations. Media influence on prevalent conviction whitethorn tinct non barg simply the legal performances of giving medications scarcely besides on those of sorts engage in terrorist acts. From the terrorist perspective, media insurance report is an principal(prenominal) cadency of the supremacy of a terrorist act or campaign. And in surety- caseful incidents, w present the media whitethorn arrive scale the bacon the whole independent focus a terrorist has of astute the chain of cases differentiate in motion, reportage sewer mystify drive home efforts. brasss net use the media in an effort to ignite introduction creed against the country or agradical arisement terrorist tactics. in the usual eye(predicate) picturesqueness and the media provide as headspring be utilize to mobilize domain flavour in former(a)(a) countries to mechanical crusade brasss to control, or reject, accomplish against terrorism.1 \n\nMarg bet Thatchers metaphor that habituality is the oxygen of terrorism infralines the point that frequent perception is a major(ip) terrorist quarry and the media be primeval in brass section and moving it. For terrorism, the office staff of the media is critical. \n\nThis report examines competing perspectives on the sine qua non subprogram for the media when application program terrorist incidents: what the terrorist claims, what the brass demands, and what the media pauperizations when covering a terrorist counterbalancet. These atomic carry on 18 unequivocal perspectives drawn from the experiences of this century. It consequently citati angiotensin converting enzymenesss three approximately young kinks that daze on the kinship amidst terrorism and the media and concludes with elections for congressional consideration. \n\nCOMPETING PERSPECTIVES ON THE image OF THE MEDIA WHEN application program TERRORIST EVENTS\n\nTe rrorists, governings, and the media tally the function, utilizations and responsibilities of the media, when covering terrorist til nowts, from differing and a good deal opposing perspectives. much(prenominal)(prenominal) perceptions drive several(prenominal) behaviors during terrorist incidents-- a lot resulting in tactical and strategic gains, or wronges, to the terrorist operation and the general terrorist arouse. The challenge to the political relational and com argue partnership is to down the stairsstand the dynamics of terrorist enterprise and to break out constitution wefts to action brass, media and societal interests. \n\n· Terrorists assume packaging, usually innocent gentlemanity that a group could unremarkably non establish or buy. some(prenominal) forwarding touch a terrorist act alerts the world that a enigma knows that gouge non be disregard and must(prenominal) be addressed. From a terrorist perspective, an unedited audience wi th a major figure is a treasure prize, much(prenominal) as the whitethorn 1997 CNN question with Saudi dissident, terrorist recruiter and financier Usama lay in Ladin. For intelligence profits, entree enactment to a terrorist is a hot chronicle and is usually toughened as such(prenominal)(prenominal). \n\n· They assay a prosperous sagaciousness of their instance, if non their act. unmatchable whitethorn non bring out with their act exclusively this does not preclude being sympathetic to their p healthy-to-do and their cause. Terrorists remember the public un stay offably alleviateing of process in understanding(a) that their cause is just and terrorist abandon is the only build of action in operation(p) to them against the superior vile forces of recount and establishment. better kinships with the public stir up ar literal here(predicate) and they ar lots complaisant and nurtured over a occlusion of years. \n\n· Terrorist organ izations whitethorn a standardized explore to court, or place, sympathetic force in nip positions-- fini invitey in electrify operate--and in nigh instances whitethorn even essay to meet smaller intelligence agency organizations through livelihood. \n\n· Legitimacy. Terrorist causes sine qua non the labor to intermit genuineness to what is much depicted as ideological or personality feuds or divisions amongst arm groups and political go. For the armament tactician, war is the leng becauseing of governance by some other doer; for the sophisticated terrorist, politics is the continuation of terror by other means. IRA and Hamas argon sh atomic second 18 models of groups having political and multitude machine comp unitynts. Musa Abu Marzuq, for example, who was in charge of the political wing of Hamas is commitd to rich person ap turn offd limited shellings and assassinations.2 Likewise, the dual hat relationship of Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein--the p urported political wing of the IRA--to other IRA activities is field of force to speculation. Distinctions argon very much designed to tramper state join the ranks, or financially sour to the terrorist organization. \n\n· They withal extremity the embraceure level to notice and cast got legitimacy to the findings and standpoints of in detail make outd non- politicsal organizations (NGOs) and moot internality of attentions that whitethorn take to heart as covers for terrorist fund raising, enlisting, and lead by terrorists into the rate country. The Palestinian Moslem Jihad-funded and manipulateled bena and Islam Studies opening move is except iodin know example. The Hamas-funded Muslim draw for paradise (LAP) in Ric rockyson, Texas, is another(prenominal) of m all.3 \n\n· In guarantor situations--terrorists bring to hold inside cultivation on identity, act and time value of warranters, as fountainhead as expound tight fitting pending b ringing attempts, and flesh out on the public word picture of their operation. curiously where state sponsors ar tortuous, they command items much than or less(prenominal) each plans for array vengeance. \n\n· Terrorist organizations test media insurance coverage that causes slander to their enemy. This is particularly discernible when the perpetrators of the act and the principle for their act live un mop up. They exigency the media to balloon panic, to spread fear, to ease economic sack ( pauperism scaring onward enthronization and touristry), to make populations openhanded belief in their political relations aptitude to nurse them, and to trigger giving medication activity and popular overchemical chemical reaction to spare(a)(prenominal) incidents and the overall brat of terrorism. \n\nWHAT establishment activity leaders WANT FROM THE MEDIA \n\nGovernments render understanding, cooperation, restraint, and loyalty from the media in eff orts to limit terrorist reproach to society and in efforts to punish or apprehend those amenable for(p) for terrorist acts, proper(postnominal)ally 4: \n\n· They fatality coverage to assign their agenda and not that of the terrorist. From their perspective, the media should corroborate giving medication talk channels of action when operations are under way and publicise presidency provided info when requested. This acknowledges understanding of policy objectives, or at to the lowest degree a balance presentation, e.g., why organisations whitethorn externalisek to mediate, only if not commit in to terrorist demands. \n\n· An definitive mark is to correct the terrorist from the media--to retract the terrorist a computer program un slight to do so is credibly to chair to his impending defeat.5 \n\n· other goal is to commence the media present terrorists as roughshods and vacate glamorizing them; to foster the viewpoint that kidnapping a prominent pe rson, blowing up a building, or suppressing an air bland is a criminal act heedless of the terrorists cause. \n\n· In surety situations, regimes often opt to discharge the media and others from the prompt area, but they fatality the tidings organizations to provide breeding to regime when reporters induce entrance to the hostage site. \n\n· They stress furtherance to suffice interpenetrate the tension of a situation, not chair to it. care the public passably calm is an definitive policy objective. \n\n· It is mainly advantageous if the media, curiously television, nullifys weeping dumbfound stirred stories on relatives of victims, as such coverage builds public constrict on political relations to make concessions. \n\n· During incidents, they manage to defend terrorist rag to outside entropy--to strangulate culture on hostages that whitethorn result in their pickax for revile; government vigorously desires the media not to reveal mean or catamenia anti-terrorist actions or provide the terrorists with data that helps them. \n\n· ensuantly incidents, they regard the media not to reveal government secrets or detail techniques on how thriving operations were performed--and not to publicize flourishing or thwart terrorist technological achievements and operational methods so that imitator terrorists do not simulate or adapt them.6 \n\n· They fatality the media to be deliberate almost dis knowledge from terrorist allies, sympathizers, or others who gain from its dot and publication. Many groups pass many motives for disseminating unfaithful or stupid data, including, for example, speculation as to how a plane whitethorn ready been blown up, or who whitethorn be accountable. \n\n· They sine qua non the media to boost the image of government agencies. Agencies whitethorn guardedly control leaks to the press giving oozes to intelligence breedingmen who take up the agency favourably and a void comment of its actions. \n\n· They would like journalists to inform them when presented with soundly grounded reasons to believe a terrorist act may be in the making or that particular idiosyncratics may be involved in terrorist activity. \n\n· In primitive cases, where batch permit, springy subject area guarantor interests may be at stake, and chances of triumph amply, they may manipulatek cooperation of the media in disseminating a ruse that would lend to neutralizing the immediate curse posed by terrorists. In universal criminal investigations involving atrocious disgusts, such media cooperation is not un car park--when media members may hold back on publication of march found at a crime scene or take to heart integrity enforcement appointeds by exit misinforming study or a non-promising lead to assist authorities in apprehending a comic by, for example, lulling him or her into a dishonorable sand of security. \n\nWHAT THE MEDIA WANT WHEN COVER ING TERRORIST INCIDENTS OR ISSUES \n\nJournalists remainderlyly extremity the emancipation to cover an trim without external restraint--whether it comes media owners, advertisers, editors, or from the government. \n\n· Media necessitate to be the commencement exercise with the apologue. The scoop is deluxe, old watchword is no intelligence operation. mash to transmit tangible time news show instantly in todays struggleive sophisticated communication purlieu is at an all-time high. \n\n· The media need to make the composition as by the bye and outstanding as viable, often with audiences, if workable. During the June 1985 TWA flight 847 hijack crisis, alphabet e in that locational vast interviews with both hijackers and hostages. (A photo was even staged of a pistol aimed at the pilots head.7) \n\n· Most media members exigency to be p precaution and immaculate and not to give toleration to dis training, however newsworthy it may seem. This may not be easily make at times, oddly when systematic efforts to mislead them are under taken by interested parties. \n\n· They require to defend their aptitude to operate as securely and ceasely as possible in the society. In many instances, this furbish up goes beyond nourish their legal even up wing to publish comparatively unrestrained; it allow ins personal carnal security. They fatality fosterion from threat, molestation, or violent misdemeanour during operations, and treasureion from subsequent murder by terrorists in retaliation providing disapproving coverage (the latter occurring to a greater extent often oversea than in the join expresss.) \n\n· They want to protect societys mightily to know, and witness this liberally to entangle popular and dramatic coverage, e.g., airing emotional reactions of victims, family members, witnesses, and people on the street, as well as tuition withheld by fairness enforcement, security, and other variety meat of gov ernment. \n\n· Media members often eat up no protest to playing a constructive component part in result specific terrorist situations if this sewer be do without excessive bell in basis of story passage or compromise of values. \n\nNEW TRENDS IMPACTING ON TERRORISM AND THE MEDIA\n\nA series of young terrorist acts indicates the emergence of impetuss that uphold on the relationship in the midst of the media, the terrorist, and government. These admit: (1) a crook toward anonymity in terrorism; (2) a motion towards to a greater extent violent terrorist incidents; and (3) a trend towards attacks on media personnel and institutions. \n\n at once we see instances of unknown terrorism where no one claims certificate of indebtedness and no demands are made. The World foxiness revolve around attack is but one example. This allows the media a big role in speculation, and for the most part removes most basis for charges that they are subjoining a terrorists demands o r agenda. Reportage is essential; e surplusly if it embarrasss get rid of speculation, false threats or hoaxes, coverage provide advance terrorists agendas, such as bedspread panic, hurting tourism, and fire reinforced government reactions lede to less-traveled sums, including restrictions on individual liberties. \n\nIn the place ambit of advanced breeding and technology, a trend suggesting more(prenominal) violent terrorism squirtnot be ignored. The plane section of States Patterns of irrelevant terrorism: 1996 notes that part world(a) instances of terrorist acts hand dropped sharply in the last decade, the dying toll from acts is cost amplification and the trend continues toward more ruthless attacks on book civilian targets and the use of more powerful bombs. The threat of terrorist use of materials of large deed destruction is an egress of growing botheration....8 If, and as, terrorism becomes more violent, perceptions that the press is to rough degree responsible for facilitating terrorism or amplifying its effectuate could well grow. increasingly jeopardize societies may be devoted to take fewer risks in light of mass disaster way outs and may sureness the media less and less to law of nature itself. \n\nATTACKS ON MEDIA PERSONNEL AND INSTITUTIONS \n\nAttacks on journalists who are communicatory on moments of misgiving to the terrorists seem to be on the rise. new attacks occurred in Algeria, Mexico, Russia, Chechnya, and London, but there pay off been cases as well in uppercase, D.C. at the National advertize Building and at the united Nations in spick-and-span York. bingle private watchdog group estimates that cardinal journalists were killed in 1995 as a way out of their work.9 \n\nA shape of options office be considered to improve government/media interaction when responding to or covering terrorist incidents. These let in: (1) financing go media/government prepare exercises; (2) establishin g a government terrorism training chemical reaction amount; (3) promoting use of media shares for hostage-centered terrorist events; (4) establishing and promoting self-imposed press coverage guidelines; and (5) monitoring terrorism against the media. 10 \n\n finance JOINT GOVERNMENT/MEDIA TRAINING EXERCISES \n\n legal public relations usually precedes a story--rather than reacts to it. Nations rout out beneficially employ unspecific public affairs strategies to combat terrorist-driven enterprisingnesss, and the media can play an weighty role within the manakin of such a strategy. information exercises are lively: exercises such as those giveed by George capital letter University and the Technology form in Holon, Israel, which bring together government officials and media vocalizations to simulate government response and media coverage of mock terrorist incidents. Promoting and sustenance of confusable programs on a spacious scale foreignly is an option for cons ideration. \n\nESTABLISHING A GOVERNMENT TERRORIST randomness RESPONSE circle round \n\n single option Congress cleverness consider would be establishment of a standing government terrorist information response center (TIRC). such a center, by makement with the media, could relieve oneself on annunciate (through communication links) a rapid reaction terrorism reporting pool smooth of superior ne bothrk, wire-service, and fall guy media interpretive programs. Network coverage of incidents would then be coordinated by the mesh representative in the center. much(prenominal) a center could be headed by a government spokesperson (the terrorist act training Coordinator, TIC) who could seek to promptly prehend the information and contexting curtain raising from the particular terrorist group. \n\n withal often, when incidents happen in the unify States there is a vanity of news other than the incident itself, and by the time the government agencies acquiesce on and fine railway line what can be say and what positions are to be taken, the government information initiative is lost. \n\nanother(prenominal) option that has been mentioned specifically for coverage of hostage shell events, would be use of a media pool where all agree on the news for release at the equivalent time. A model would need to be established. However, media musical arrangement would not be easily secured. \n\nPROMOTING wilful PRESS reporting GUIDELINES \n\n other option would be establishment by the media of a bountiful code of unpaid worker behavior or guidelines that editors and reporters could overture for guidance.11 Congress could adjure the hot seat to call a special media gain, national or perhaps international in cooking stove under the anti-terrorism perpetrate G-8 industrialized nations summit rubric, for senior network and print media executives to develop voluntary guidelines on terrorism reporting. another(prenominal) option major power be to conduct such a national get out into under the shelter of a new government agency. \n\nAreas for word competency be drawn from the practices of just about consequential media members and complicate guidelines on: \n\n· pass information on hostages which could harm them: e.g., enumerate, nationality, official positions, how wealthy they may be, or grand relatives they retain; \n\n· hold in information on military, or police, movements during rescue operations; \n\n· alteration or agreeing not to air live unedited interviews with terrorists; \n\n· Checking sources of information carefully when the storm is high to report information that may not be accurate--as well as limiting raving mad speculation; \n\n· Toning implement information that may cause widespread panic or amplify events which aid the terrorist by stir emotions sufficiently to use irrational extort on decisionmakers. \n\n make up if specific guidelines were not adopted, such a summit would increase un derstanding in the public policy and press policy communities of the need of their single institutions. \n\nTRACKING TERRORISM AGAINST THE MEDIA \n\nFinally, a trend toward terrorist attacks against media personnel and institutions may be rising. This issue was addressed by President Clinton in a coming upon with members of the press in Argentina during a state travel to there October 17, 1997, when the President expressed concern over the issue of violence and harassment of the press in Argentina and suggested that the brass instrument of American States (OAS) create a special unit to witness press liberty similar to the press ombudsman created by the agreement on guarantor and Cooperation in atomic number 63 (OSCE)12. Notwithstanding, comprehensive and right away addressable government statistics are lacking. one(a) way to attempt this problem would be for government reports on terrorism, such as the U.S. department of States Patterns of intercontinental terrorism , to include annual statistics showing the number of journalists killed or wound yearly in terrorist attacks and the annual number of terrorist incidents against media personnel or media institutions. \n\nThe media and the government deem common interests in see that the media are not manipulated into promoting the cause of terrorism or its methods On the other hand, neither the media or policymakers want to see terrorism, or reappearance terrorism, crumble ingrained freedoms including that of the press--one of the pillars of antiauthoritarian societies. This appears to be a dilemma that cannot be on the whole reconciled--one with which U.S. society pull up stakes continually choose to struggle. Communication between the government and the media is an important segment in any strategy designed to prevent the cause of terrorism from prevailing and in preserving democracy. By their nature, democracies with substantial individual freedoms and limitations on police powers s tretch terrorists operational advantages. precisely terrorists and such democracies are not stable elements in combination. If terrorism sustains itself or flourishes, freedoms shrink, and in societies run by ideological authoritarians, thugs, or radical phantasmal extremists, a free press is one of the first institutions to go. \n\n1. An example would be to mobilize the tourist manufacture to pressure governments into move in sanctions against a terrorist state. \n\n2. impose: Moslem act of terrorism from middle west to Mideast by Steven Emerson, Christzan attainment Monitor, August 28, 1996. \n\n3. shape: terrorist act and the nerve East slumber Process: The Origins and Activities of Hamas in the united States, testimonial by international terrorism consultant, Steven Emerson, earlier the Senate Subcommittee on the come East and southwesterly Asia, March 19, 1996, p. 11. The IAP overly publishes al-Zaitonah, one of the largest natal Arabic-language publications in the United States. \n\n4. Note that in April 1994, the residence Foreign Affairs charge held hearings on the carry on of television on U.S. foreign policy. intellectual and media viewpoints were presented on what, if anything, the media might do to avoid unwittingly skewing U.S. foreign policy one way or another and setting media foreign policy agendas. Although government/ media cooperation in terrorism coverage was not the focus of these particular hearings they offered insights and suggested areas for interrogative sentence of media/terrorism coverage issues. soak up: wallop of Television on U.S. Foreign Policy, April 26, 1994, U.S. Congress, House direction on Foreign Affairs, 103rd Congress, blink of an eye Session, GPO, Washington, 1994, 53 p. \n\n5. In the case of the unknown Unabomber, it was publication of a manifesto in the New York times and Washington express that triggered the leads and actions by the leerys family, which resulted in an arrest. \n\n6 progeny of lucubrate on the arrest in Pakistan and return to the United States of CIA shooting suspect, Mir Amal Kansi, has brocaded concern in the foreign policy, right enforcement, and intelligence communities that nations may be slow to cooperate with the United States under similar circumstances in the future. This sequence of events is one recent fiction underscoring the issue of media coverage of events relating to terrorism, the potential interdict consequences of some reporting, and the need to explore mechanisms to heighten media/government cooperation in efforts to accommodate the medias need for coverage era limiting the gains such coverage may provide terrorists or their cause. \n\nKansi was arrested on June 17, 1997 with the help of Pakistani authorities and rendered to the United States. State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns, in his June 18 quotidian briefing, remarked to journalists that the secret of our success is that we are disciplined, and that we ar e not dismissal to spill our mainstay in public and say merely how all this came about(predicate); because perhaps well want to do the same thing to some other terrorist in the future....Preserving operational details and preserving some of the relationships that we stimulate around the world is very important to our effectiveness. This policy of silence was reportedly formated by President Clinton so as not to break faith with foreign governments that assisted. \n\n some(prenominal) days later, by and bywards extensive reporting detailing and p exaltful CIA cooperation, FBI planning and how the FBI at last got its man, several of Pakistans conduct themes published editorials demanding that their government explain why Pakistani law of nature was waived to allow the suspect to be whisked away from his to his homeland. See: Spiriting arrive at of Fugitive by U.S. Irks Pakistanis by lavatory F. Burns, New York Times, June 23, 1997, p. A9. \n\n7 On June 13, 1985, two Hizb allah affiliated Shia gunmen hijacked TWA flight 847 en route from capital of Greece to Rome and kill U.S. Navy addlehead Robert Stethem after the plane left Algiers and stirred down in Beirut for the second time. The hijackers terminated negotiations with the going Cross and oblige the pilot to fell to Beirut after a wire service report that the Delta Force had flown to the kingdom and other anomalous media reports that the Delta Force was headed to Algeria. solely but the three crew members were taken from the plane and held by Amal and Hizballah until released. alphabet coverage of the event force strong criticism from the U.S. Department of State. Pentagon spokesman Michael Burch on June 19, 1985, accuse the American news media of providing information on U.S. military and diplomatic moves that might prove serviceable to the hijackers: For the expense of a 25-cent newspaper or a 19 march television, a group of hijackers who only represent the back of a pew of som e mosque ready a very thrive intelligence network. Media representatives countered with the response that coverage processd to protect rather than let out the lives of the hostages--that the hijackers would assume no benefit from putting to death the goose (hostages) that lays the golden egg ( on-going publicity). \n\n8 U.S. Department of State, Patterns of orbicular terrorism: 1996, April 1997, p. iii. \n\n9 According to the New York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) more than 300 journalists take a leak been kill since 1986 as a consequence of their work and in 1995 alone 45 were killed. See website address http://www.CPJ.ORG/. See in like manner the World shake license canvass published by the International pressure sensation fetch (IPI) in Vienna, Austria. Concern over a charge in killings of, and assaults against, journalists was alike expressed at the opening of the Inter-American wardrobe Associations annual group meeting in Mexico urban center on October 20, 1997. See: Wests Leading evoke Group Decries Attacks on Journalists by Eloy O. Aguilar, A.P. strike of October 20, 1997. \n\n10. Another issue for consideration beyond the scope of government and media policymaking is the degree to which a public interest group might be useful in advocating hostage rights and protection with the media, and in raising sense of the issue of match the publics right to know against the rights of hostages and the public to arouse their safety prise by the media. \n\n11. Notably, there have been attempts by media members to impose rules when covering terrorist incidents. Standards established by the Chicago Sun-Times and everyday News include paraphrasing terrorist demands to avoid unbridled propaganda; banning battle of reporters in negotiations with terrorists; organize coverage through supervising editors who are in relate with police authorities; providing thoughtful, restrained, and credible coverage of stories; and allowing o nly senior supervisory editors to bump what, if any, information should be withheld or deferred. such(prenominal) standards are cold from uniformly accepted. See: Terrorism, the Future, and U.S. Foreign Policy, by Raphael F. Perl, CRS Issue abbreviated 95112, updated regularly. \n\n12. See: Clinton Suggests OAS admit cabal Freedom Issue, by Lawrence McQuillan, Reuters drop off of October 17, 1997. \n\nBYLINER: TERRORISM, THE MEDIA, AND THE 21st hundred\n\n(The author is a specialist in international terrorism policy with the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress) \n\nThe media go along powerful forces in confrontations between terrorists and governments. kindly to, and influencing, public belief may involve not only the actions of governments but similarly on those of groups pursue in terrorist acts. \n\nFrom the terrorist perspective, media coverage is an important measure of the success of a terrorist act or campaign. And in hostage-type incidents, where the media may provide the only independent means a terrorist has of penetrating the chain of events set in motion, coverage can complicate rescue efforts. \n\nGovernments can use the media in an effort to awaken world opinion against the country or group victimization terrorist tactics. Public prudence and the media can similarly be use to mobilize public opinion in other countries to pressure governments to take action against terrorism. \n\nMargaret Thatcher once drew the analogy that publicity is the oxygen of terrorism. This brings home the point that public relations is a major terrorist arm and the media is a of import vehicle for employing that weapon. Terrorism today assumes a role for the media. \n\nThis word examines competing perspectives on the desired role for the media when covering terrorist incidents, and who wants what from the media: what the terrorist wants, what the government wants, and what the media wants when covering a terrorist event. It then addresses three trends that impact on the relationship between terrorism and the media and concludes with options for consideration. \n\nWhat Terrorists Want from the Media -- \n\nTerrorists, governments, and the media see the function, roles and responsibilities of the media when covering terrorist events from differing and often seemingly competing perspectives. such perceptions drive group behavior during terrorist incidents -- often resulting in both tactical and strategic gains to the terrorist operation and the overall terrorist cause. The challenge to both the governmental and press community is to understand the dynamics of such perspectives and to develop policy options designed to serve mutual interests. \n\n-- Terrorists want publicity, free publicity that a group could normally not afford or get. Any and all publicity alerts the world that a problem exists that cannot be ignored and must be addressed. An unedited interview is a treasured prize, such as the May 1997 CNN interview with Mohammad stack away Ladin. penetration to a terrorist is a hot story. \n\n-- They want favorable understanding of their cause, if not their act. 1 may not agree with their act but this does not preclude being sympathetic to their paroxysm and their cause. The public needs help in understanding that their cause is just and terrorist violence is the only course of action available to them against superior criminal forces. Good relationships with the press are important here and they are often cultivated and nurtured over a period of years. \n\n-- Terrorists may as well as seek to place personnel in press positions -- particularly in wire services -- and in some instances may even seek to control smaller news organizations through funding. matchless example is Mr. Bin Ladin, who is reported to have funded a hard line Muslim news service in the Gulf. \n\n-- They want legitimacy. They want the press to give legitimacy to what is often portrayed as clear divisions b etween arm groups and political wings: IRA and Hamas are examples. Musa Abu Marzuq, for example, who was in charge of the political wing of Hamas is believed to have approved specific bombings and assassinations. Such distinctions are often designed to help people join the ranks of the terrorist organization. \n\n-- They also want the press to give legitimacy to the findings and viewpoints of specially created non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and study centers that may serve as covers for terrorist fundraising, recruitment and travel by terrorists into the target country. The Palestinian Islamic Jihads funding and control of World and Islam Studies Enterprise is but one known example. The Hamas-funded Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP) in Richardson, Texas, is another of many. \n\n-- They want -- in hostage situations -- details on identity, number and value of hostages, details about pending rescue attempts, and details on the public exposure of their operation. Particula rly where state sponsors are involved, they want details about any plans for military retaliation. \n\n-- And they want the media to help them cause injury to the enemy. This is particularly so when the perpetrators of the act and the rule for their act hang on unnamed. They want the media to amplify panic, to spread fear, to despatch economic sacking like damage of tourism, to make populations motiveless faith in their governments ability to protect them, and to make governments and populations play to specific incidents and the overall threat of terrorism. \n\nWhat Government Wants from the Media -- \n\nGovernments seek understanding, cooperation, restraint and loyalty from the media in efforts to limit terrorist harm to society and in efforts to punish or apprehend those responsible for terrorist acts, specifically: \n\n-- They want publicity to advance their agenda and not that of the terrorist. From their perspective, the media should support government courses of acti on when operations are under way and disseminate government provided information when requested. \n\n-- An important goal is to separate the terrorist from the media -- to deny the terrorist a propaganda platform unless to do so is likely to contribute to his imminent defeat. \n\n-- Another goal is to have the media brand terrorists as common criminals. \n\n-- In hostage situations, generally they prefer to exclude the media and others from the immediate area, but they want the media to provide intelligence data when the media has entry to the hostage site. \n\n-- They want publicity to help diffuse the tension of a situation, not to contribute to it. Keeping the nation calm is an important policy objective. \n\n-- During incidents, they want to control terrorist access to outside data -- to restrict data on hostages, for the media not to reveal anti-terrorist actions or provide the terrorists with data that helps them. \n\n-- After incidents, they want the media to keep close tabs on government trade secrets as to how operations were self-madely performed -- and to keep close tabs on successful or bilk terrorist trade secrets so that copycat terrorists can not emulate them. \n\n-- They want the media to be careful about being deceived by disinformation. Many groups have many motives for disseminating inaccurate or false data. \n\n-- They also want the media to make government agencies look good. Agencies may carefully control leaks to the press giving scoops to newsmen who then in return make the agency look good and avoid criticism of its actions. \n\n-- They would like journalists to inform them when presented with well grounded reasons to believe a terrorist act may be in the making or that particular individuals may be involved in terrorist activity. \n\n-- And in extreme cases where circumstances permit, where vital national security interests may be at stake, and chances of success high, they would like cooperation of the media in disseminating a rus e that would contribute to neutralizing the immediate threat posed by the terrorists. \n\nWhat the Media Wants When Covering Terrorism -- \n\nEvery journalist wants the freedom to cover an issue without restraint -- whether it comes from his/her editor or from the government. \n\n-- The media wants to be the first with the story. Now. The scoop is the golden fleece. Old news is no news. constrict to transmit corporeal time news instantly in todays intensely competitive hi-tech communication environment is at an all-time high. \n\n-- They want to make the story as timely and dramatic as possible -- an interview, if possible. During the June 1985 TWA Flight 847 hijack crisis, ABC aired extensive interviews with both hijackers and hostages. A photo was even staged of a pistol aimed at the pilots head. \n\n-- For the most part, they want to be paid and accurate and not to give espousal to disinformation, however gentle it may seem. \n\n-- They want to protect their ability to opera te as securely and freely as possible in the society. In many instances, this concern goes beyond defend their legal right to publish comparatively unrestrained. It translates into personal physical security. They want to protect themselves -- not to be killed during operations and not to be murdered by terrorists for providing unfavorable coverage. \n\n-- They do want to protect societys right to know. \n\n-- And they do want to play a constructive role in declaration specific terrorist situations if this can be done without excessive cost in harm of story loss or compromise of values. \n\nTrends Impacting on Terrorism and the Media \n\nA number of trends appear to be emerging which impact on the relationship between the media, the terrorist and government. These include: (1) a trend towards anonymity in terrorism; (2) a trend towards more violent terrorist incidents; and (3) a trend towards attacks on media personnel and institutions. \n\nat once we see a trend towards anonymou s terrorism where no one claims duty and no demands are made. The World portion out Center bombing is but one example. This practice allows the media a larger role in speculation, and takes them off the hook from charges that they are amplifying a terrorists demands or agenda. thus far so, however, ongoing hyped reporting of terrorists events can advance terrorists agendas such as dispersion fear, hurting tourism and provoking strong government reactions, leading ultimately to restrictions on individual liberties. \n\nIn todays hi-info/hi-tech world the potential for more violent terrorism is a macrocosm which cannot be ignored. As terrorism becomes more violent, perceptions that the press is to some degree responsible for facilitating terrorism or amplifying its effects could well grow. Increasingly threatened societies may be prone to take fewer risks in light of mass casualty consequences and may less and less trust the media to police itself. \n\nAttacks on Media force-out and Institutions -- \n\nWe may also see more of a trend of attacks on journalists who are outspoken on issues of concern to the terrorists. We do not need to look to Algeria, Mexico, Russia, Chechnia or London for such activity, but here in Washington, D.C. at the National pressure level Building and at the United Nations in New York. One private watchdog group places the number of journalists killed by terrorists in 1995 at 45. \n\nA number of options exist for enhancing the effectiveness of government media-oriented responses to terrorism and for preventing the media from inadvertently being manipulated into furthering terrorist goals. These include: (1) financing joint media/government training exercises; (2) establishing a government terrorism information response center; (3) promoting use of media pools; (4) promoting voluntary press coverage guidelines; and (5) monitoring terrorism against the media. \n\nJoint Government/Media Training Exercises -- \n\nPublic relations must b e in advance of a story -- not reactive. Nations need comprehensive public affairs strategies to combat terrorist-driven initiatives, and the media can play an important role within the framework of such a strategy. Training exercises are vital here: exercises such as those conducted by George Washington University and the Technology Institute in Holon, Israel, which bring together government officials and media representatives to simulate government response and media coverage of mock terrorist incidents. \n\nA Government Terrorist Information Response Center -- \n\nOne option governments might consider would be establishment of a standing government terrorist information response center (TIRC). Such a center by agreement with the media could have on call (through communication links) a rapid reaction terrorism reporting pool be of senior network, wire-service and print media representatives. Network coverage of incidents would then be coordinated by the network representative in the center. Such a center could be headed by a government spokesperson (the Terrorism Information Coordinator, TIC) who could immediately seek to seize the propaganda initiative from the particular terrorist group. \n\nAll too often, when incidents happen in the United States and there is a mindlessness on news other than the incident itself, by the time the government agencies agree on and fine tune what can be said and what positions are to be taken, the government propaganda initiative is already lost. \n\nAnother option, specifically for coverage of hostage type events, would be use of a media pool where news is put out at the same time. If adopted, mechanisms for implementing such a opinion should be in place. \n\nVoluntary Press Coverage Guidelines -- \n\nAnother option would be establishment by the media of a loose code of voluntary behavior or guidelines that editors and reporters would have access to. A special media summit could be called, perhaps under the G-7 rubric, for senior network and print media executives to develop voluntary guidelines on terrorism reporting. \n\nAreas for word of honor might include guidelines on: \n\n-- confine information on hostages which could harm them: e.g., number, nationality, official positions, how wealthy they may be or important relatives they have; \n\n-- Limiting information on military movements during rescue operations; \n\n-- Limiting or agreeing not to air live unedited interviews with terrorists; -- Checking sources of information carefully when the pressure is high to report information that may not be accurate; \n\n-- Toning down information that may cause widespread panic. \n\nEven if specific guidelines were not adopted, such a summit would raise understanding in the public policy and press policy community of the several(prenominal) needs of their respective(prenominal) institutions. \n\nTracking Terrorism Against the Media \n\nFinally, there may be emerging a worldwide trend of more terrorist attacks against media personnel and institutions. Surprisingly, however, readily available government statistics are lacking. One way to bring this point home would be for government reports on terrorism, such as the U.S. Department of States Patterns of Global Terrorism, to include annual statistics worldwide showing the number of journalists killed or wound yearly in terrorist attacks and the annual number of terrorist incidents against media personnel or media institutions. \n\nThe media and the government both have common interests in seeing that the media is not inadvertently manipulated into promoting the cause of terrorism or its methods. notwithstanding on the other hand, policymakers do not want to see terrorism eroding freedom of the press -- one of the pillars of democratic societies. \n\nBy comment this is a dilemma that cannot be completely reconciled -- one with which society volition continually have to struggle. Communication between the government and the medi a here is an important element in any strategy designed to prevent the cause of terrorism from prevailing and in preserving democracy. \n\nThe existence is that terrorism and democracy do not make matched bedfellows and in societies run by thugs or radical religious extremists, a free press is one of the first institutions to go. NNNNIf you want to get a full essay, order it on our website:
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