Images of terror
Subtitle: what we can and can't know about terrorism
By: Philip Jenkins.
Series: Social problems and social issues
Publisher: Aldine de Gruyter
Published: 2003
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 227
Subjects: Terrorism; Terrorists -- Psychology; Political violence; Terrorism and mass media; Terrorism -- Government policy; Communication -- Social aspects
Description: Provides a critical consumers guide to the images of terrorism that we are offered daily in the mass media. All too often, scholars and journalists accept uncritically the interpretations of terrorism they receive from governments and official agencies. Our perceptions of terrorism are formed by the interaction of bureaucratic agencies, academics and private experts, and the mass media: The images and stereotypes that we are offered do not necessarily reflect objective reality. Rather than being something understood identically by people in different societies and different eras, the concept of terrorism is shaped by social and political processes, by bureaucratic needs and media structures. This process of construction applies both to the overall concept, and to specific movements, to groups and their actions. We must understand how we form our stereotypes of terrorism and how we come to see certain terrorists or militants as demon figures, while giving a virtual free pass to other groups or states that are just as dangerous. We must therefore also understand the rhetorical processes by which certain interest groups and bureaucratic agencies present their particular views of terrorism, and try to establish these as the ones that come to be accepted as obviously correct. [publisher web site].
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-217) and index.
Table of contents: title: Knowing about terrorism; title: Another man's freedom fighter?; title: The American politics of terrorism; title: Motives; title: False flags; title: Investigation and intelligence; title: Explaining failure; title: Terrorism and the mass media; title: Iraq and state terrorism; title: A critical consumer's guide to understanding terrorism.