Media's Definition Of Terrorism

The subject of terrorism is a disturbing subject to discuss. We have been hearing and reading about terror threats, terror attacks, and terror groups through the media. Recently, the world has experienced a terrifying, exponential increase in the number of terrorist attacks; The Global Terrorism Database listed 1,395 attacks in 1998, a figure that has steadily risen since then, reaching a record high of 8,441 in 2012. The media plays a large role in manipulating the public’s understanding of terrorism and its relation to the world. Terrorism is commonly yet unfairly interpreted to be associated with every Muslim, and the discrimination that stems from that prejudice is broadening in our own country. Terrorism should not be portrayed in the …show more content…
A widely accepted definition is that it is the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes. Isn’t almost every attacking war, such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq by America and its allies including Australia, then classified as terrorism? Aren’t the Australian and US military terrorists for using violence and threats to intimidate other countries for political purposes? Isn’t it considered terrorism to murder over 1 million innocent and helpless Iraqi civilians? As it has been made clear to the public, 9/11 was the key reason why US, Australian, Polish and British forces were deployed in Iraq. Not only is the official story of 9/11 under great question, but the actions forces were taking in Iraq and other countries in the middle east do not reflect defence, protection or peace. Instead they could be more accurately viewed as unprovoked terrorism. This view is supported by Mike Prysner, an Iraq Veteran when he described his feelings about fighting in Iraq “I tried hard to be proud of my service but all I could feel was shame. The racism could no longer mask the reality of the occupation. These were people, these were human beings. I feel guilt anytime I see a young girl, like the one I grabbed by the arm and dragged into the street. We were told we were fighting terrorists. The real terrorist was me, and the real terrorism is this …show more content…
With the power of mass communication, the media is able to deliver news to a large audience and has the potential to influence community perceptions. This comprehensive power, however, can be abused. There has been an extensively documented history of bias in commercial media because of their ownership structure. Academics such as Humphrey McQueen have tracked and analysed media coverage in Murdoch, Packer and Fairfax media in Australia and identified direct and indirect influence by the owners. And since almost every single Australian follows the media, they are likely to be misled into believing false information and develop a prejudice towards certain minorities. In the media, providing the description of a wrongdoer’s Islamic faith remains all too common, even in cases where faith is irrelevant to the crime. A report for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship reveals that although Australian-Muslim families have good relations with other Australians, and feel safe and happy here, they are furious with the media for depicting Muslims as terrorists and criminals. The problem with the reporting in general is that it can be biased, or it uses provocative language in areas that are not wholly relevant in order to stir up the public; Daily Mail is a prime example of this, it notorious for its frequent harassment of individuals, campaigns of hate directed