Chapter 3 THE ROLE OF THE MASS MEDIA

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Chapter 3THE ROLE OF THE MASS MEDIA

• Relationship between TV escalation of violence
• Contagion theory
• Historical trends in skyjacking
• Use of propaganda by terrorists
• Hunger strikes for media attention
• Censorship
• Law Enforcement media relations

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Chapter 3THE ROLE OF THE MASS MEDIA

• Terrorists want recognition and attention make
  extensive use of mass media -- especially TV
• Jungle press conference - Abu Sayyaf
• Multiple aircraft hijacking incidents
• al Qaeda tapes of bin Laden
• Iraq insurgents tapes of beheadings
• Terrorism as theater which requires an audience
  watching listening

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Chapter 3Media (TV) and Violence

• Media, especially TV, - affects behavior
• Exposure to media violence terrorism leads to
  creation of fear, anxiety, insensitivity,
  emulation
• Frivolousness of news coverage
• Munich Olympics guerrillas commandos
• Connotation is if one is fighting for his
  freedom, conventional rules of warfare need not
  apply
• If the most brutal terrorism against civilians is
  justified in the name of freedom, human rights
  will suffer

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Chapter 3Contagion Theory

• Contagion or Copycat Syndrome
• When one terrorist or group does something new
  successful, others will try to imitate
• Sept 1970 - PFLP Skyjacking - Prisoner Release or
  media attention or both?
• 4 Acft (3) - 276 people flown to Jordon
• Mass media attention
• Planes blown up - passengers released Jordon
  Army attacked PLFP - Black September
• PFLP incident filmed seen worldwide

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Chapter 3Contagion Theory

• Contagion effect motivated by media
• 4 Trends in skyjacking
• 1950s escape attempts from Eastern Bloc
• 50-60s escape attempts from Cuba
• 1968 PLFP skyjacking of El Al acft - political
  hostages - mass media influence
• 80s skyjackings (Cuba) political asylum
• 70s Parachute skyjackings - D.B. Cooper

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Chapter 3Contagion Theory

• Product Tampering
• 80s Tylenol incident - extortion/murder
• Huge media interest more cases
• Product tampering devices
• Films on gang violence Deerhunter
• Good Guys hostage-taking incident
• Influence of Hong Kong gangster films

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Chapter 3Contagion Theory

• Terrorist violence makes abnormal behavior seem
  justified -- Why?
• Perps seldom punished
• Acts are portrayed as justified
• Violence portrayed as no intent to hurt the
  innocent - forced to use force
• Media attention encourages imitation
• Media attention exaggerates strength
• Act of violence is overdramatized

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Chapter 3Propaganda Value

• Propaganda is the dissemination of facts,
  arguments, half-truths, or lies in order to
  influence public opinion
• Systematic effort to persuade a mass audience by
  presenting one-sided arguments
• Groups - including governments - used propaganda
  to influence public opinion

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Chapter 3Propaganda Value

• Northern Ireland
• PIRA American support
• Bombings in London coverage
• Spectacular attacks - Brighton Hotel
• Hunger Strikes (80-81)
• Bobby Sands - hunger strike, elected to Irish
  Parliament (in prison) death
• 164 TV crews covered his funeral

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Chapter 3Propaganda Value

• Hunger strikes worked for Irish
• What about Gitmo?
• Suicides as PR or despair?
• OBL al Qaeda
• Interviews
• Video Tapes