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Terrorism and the
Media: Censorship or Responsible Journalism
Why is the issue of censorship so important in terms of the coverage of terrorist activity? Author: Jonathan B. Smith Michigan
State University 's School of Criminal Justice Background Freedom of the press is one of the primary tenets of a Western democratic society. The First Amendment of the US Constitution lays the foundation for freedom of the press, stating:
There are compromises that must be considered when providing the great freedoms offered in a Western democratic society. Freedom of the press can have some potential unintended effects when fighting the GWOT; especially when considering the force multiplier effects of the modern global media. Analysis The media is often times in an awkward post ion when attempting to cover terrorist events. Their mission to "protect society's right to know" is often in direct conflict with the government's (e.g. law enforcement, military, agency) orders to "protect and serve" and maintain order, when covering terrorist situations. Below is a graphic that I created to depict the precarious balancing act that the press faces when covering a terrorist incident. During a terrorist incident the press needs to always be vigilant about balancing the freedoms relating protecting society's right to know against their responsibility to play a constructive role. The diagram depicts the fact that in general, the more freedom and accuracy in the reporting, the more the coverage favors the terrorist and vice versa.
The analysis below covers many of the issues facing governments, media outlets and terrorists before, during and after a terrorist events. The government's and the terrorist's agendas tend to be diametrically opposed, while the media's position is often a matter of a judgment call. The media tends to be the force multiplier stuck in the middle between complete censorship and total freedom of the press, neither of which are in Western democracies long term interests.
The media plays an important role in providing a check and balance to the government's actions. It is important that the media play a constructive role during times of local or national crisis, but it is also critical that they be able to continue to allowed to provide a counterbalance. Cicero stated it best "inter arma silent leges," translated into English "during war, the laws are silent." The media is a critical piece in the puzzle that helps to ensure that "the laws are not silenced." The media is an extremely powerful force multiplier. It needs to be utilized with great prudence, judgment and a bent towards playing a constructive role in the GWOT. Censorship is not the answer, responsible and supportive journalism is. Additional Resources
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