The Mary Junck Research Colloquium Series

Spring 2008

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School of Journalism and Mass Communication
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dr. Cori E. Dauber

Associate Professor
Department of Communication Studies
UNC-Chapel Hill

 

 

 

 

Mar. 27

 

Terrorism as Media Event: Terrorist and Insurgent Strategies for Manipulating the Western Press

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the conflict against Islamist terrorism globally, are unique for two reasons. First, these are wars against enemies whose primary tactic – terrorism – is dependent upon an audience to succeed. Terrorism is distinct from every other type of violence in that the real targets are not those people being hurt and killed at the scene, but those watching at home. The goal is to kill people – but it’s also to be sure that they’re killed on camera. Today’s wars are also unique because they’re fought in an information environment radically different from any that has come before. More than the Internet, this is a function of a cluster of new information and communication technologies that became relatively mature at relatively the same time, and have been used together to powerful synergistic effects by media-savvy terrorists and insurgents. This colloquium will report on a major research project examining the implications of these two factors, how they have changed the nature of today’s wars, how terrorists and insurgents have taken advantage of today’s media environment, the way they attempt to manipulate press coverage of their activities – and what that might mean for the nature of responsible journalism in today’s environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like additional details/information
about the colloquium series, or have any suggestions,
please contact

Sriram "Sri" Kalyanaraman
E-mail: sri@unc.edu
Phone: 919-843-5858