Ethical Responsibilities of the Media

The methods that people nowadays use to get news of any kind, whether it be sports, weather, or global, have changed drastically from the time where news was only available through newspapers and radio stations. Regarding terrorism, the media is the only source of information, unless it is a primary account of a soldier who had been at war. However, the media is able to manipulate any story to make someone or something either look good or bad. This is exactly what happened after the occurrence of 9/11. The media, along with the government, caught the wave of nationalism sweeping across the country and built news stories favoring America. For example, not many people talk about how the American government in 1990, intervened in the Middle East after Iraq invaded Kuwait, which could be a possible cause for the attacks of 9/11. This event and many other instances of American intervention in the Middle East have been swept under the rug by the U.S. government through the media. These incidences were all put forth as necessary steps to protect “our” best interests in the region. John Steinbrink, a professor of education and Jeremy Cook, a doctoral candidate at Oklahoma State University, used the media’s coverage of the aftermath of 9/11 as an example for education in media literacy, which is “the ability to read, understand, and interpret the influence of all forms of media in one’s life” (284). Using

The mass media affects the spread of propaganda and just encourages group and individual terrorist acts. In a way the media is an ally to terrorists. The media use terrorists to get stories and terrorists use the media to spread fear and panic. The media legitimizes terrorism and their causes because by publicizing their acts, even if not completely true, it will be believed. People say don’t believe everything you hear and read, but once its put out there, the propaganda is already set in our heads.

An excerpt from the article “Think Before You Tweet in the Wake of an Attack” has written about the correlation between mainstream media coverage and the likelihood of attacks that are caused by the media coverage. “Terrorists have always craved media attention; in April, researcher Michael Jetter, of the University of Western Australia, found that increases in mainstream media coverage of al Qaeda correlated with the likelihood of attacks the following week. And in the age of Facebook and Twitter, everyone's the media. It's not just journalists who must learn to responsibly cover these attention-seeking atrocities but anyone with a Twitter handle.” As the article discusses, social media platforms have now created ways for terrorist to show their atrocities to the world. Which will leads to anyone seeing their acts as others will share the videos that these terrorist have freely posted on site such as twitter and facebook. Speaking of Facebook, the social platform now allows live streaming, which has lead to made it easier for executions, suicides, and other morbid acts to be readily available for anyone. Regardless if they want to see

Some terrorism videos are of the terrorists attacking civilians, burning down buildings, shootings or bomb explosions. (Zero Censorship, 2014-2016) These videos can be viewed from most electronic devices and are uncensored. This material inspires, disgust, and frightens people all in one. Terrorists also use digital media to find potential recruits ready to join the life of terrorism. In recruitment videos terrorists put into the minds of their viewers that what they’re doing is good, and whatever they are going against is bad. They spread their ideology and ask people work with them to get a certain point across or just the feeling of accomplishing something. People who watch these videos and feel like it’s their duty to stand up for the movement are willing to die for the cause, join. Mass media capitalizes from terrorists attacks, this kind of news draws the attention of viewers and readers. Terrorists on the other hand use the mass media coverage to send messages to people world wide, showing they’re a force to be reckoned with and taken seriously. Osama bin Laden was the first terrorists that understood the power of media. With the 9/11 attacks Osama captured the undivided attention of people everywhere. He was the first terrorist to do so. Now ISIS has the power of mass media and use it the same way, to send a message to people everywhere. Communicating

Firstly, the “war on terror” had reduced the humanitarian concerns down, and the foreign policy. Furthermore, media coverage had become more deferential and constrained: therefore, reducing the chances of media influencing policy. The “war on terror” most importantly provided journalists with a guide in which they could understand global events and policy makers with the ability to justify a more aggressive foreign policy plan. At last, the “war on terror” had constructed an ideological bond between journalist and policy makers which created stronger media management. Techniques developed to display coverage of certain issues over others to frame stories that support official

The media today is full of coverage about terrorism. From terrorist threats to both unsuccessful and successful terrorist acts.

“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses,” were the words of Malcolm X during his famed 1963 speech. Many believe this quote has lost relevance in our contemporary society. However, on the contrary, it rings more true than ever. One popular topic that has had an extreme influence on our society due to the way the media portrays it is terrorism. Whether it is a tragic event such as 9/11 or simply the way it portrays Muslims, the media tends to sensationalize the fear and tragedy of such events to increase publicity while also depicting all terrorists as Muslim

“CNN is nothing but a bunch of liberals!” “Every point you make is invalid because you get your information from Fox News!” Well, what news sources are the public supposed to be trusting, anyway? Do objective media outlets even exist anymore? Media bias has done incomprehensible damage to the thoughts, opinions, and beliefs of the citizens of this nation. Newspapers, magazines, news channels, and reporters themselves have an ethical responsibility to inform the public of the entire truth, not to spread their own agenda across the nation. Because the public relies so heavily on the media for information, it is immoral for news outlets to be even the slightest bit subjective to one side.

School shootings, flight MH370, ISIS. All of these events are covered by the media and they all have one thing in common. They are all negative subjects and events. The media are reporting on negative content and this harmful content can have an impact on human behaviour in many ways like, we become desensitized to violence, and the negative stories also provide an unrealistic view of the world.

We need to know more about the hatred that has been born into some civilizations, and they need to stop sugarcoating the details that arise in front of them. Hatred is alive, and hatred is very strong in specific parts of the Middle East. The Middle East is very undeveloped and they would be considered the underdog in this situations, and there needs to be a time where we accept that the underdog is winning by terrorizing countries. The media needs to help spread the message that there are hate groups out there, and the more knowledge that is broadcasted means that more people will begin to wake up. Some events can be predicted, and they can be stopped! The media should have to report on things that are relevant and truthful, even if it is stepping out of the specific network’s

Terrorism acts today are not the same as they were 20 or 30 years ago. Even though the act is still the same but because of today’s media and technology it is different. For example, in 2015 the ISIS claims attack in Paris, France that killed more the 128 people was world news within minutes because of technology and the media broadcasting it even without all of the information. There are pros and cons with the media sharing terrorism acts. The pros and if it a lengthily attack the media can possible warn others that may be in the area or to warn others not to go to specific areas. The cons are when the media just makes reports without conducting research and doing their due diligence and insuring what they are reporting is correct.

The duty of journalists is to tell the truth. Journalism means you go back to the actual facts, you look at the documents, you discover what the record is, and you report it that way. — Chomsky 2008

“If the media were not there to report terrorist acts and to explain their political and social significance...terrorism as such would cease to exist” said John O'Sullivan, an editor of the Times of London.1 This is also the way many other people feel about the recent increase in terrorist activity; they feel that the media is causing it. The media is doing this by fulfilling the terrorists' need for publicity.2 Terrorists need media publicity in order to get their views spread to the public.3 Because of this need for publicity, terrorists are committing their acts of terrorism in areas where a lot of publicity will be gained; the United States and Western Europe are the most recent targets. The bombings of the federal building in

Gatekeeping is “controlling access to goods, services, or information, usually applied by individuals or groups in hierarchical organizations. ” (CSA). As it applies to media, gatekeeping refers to the method in which information is filtered for distribution, this can be done through the internet, print or broadcasting. Due to the power that gatekeepers wield in controlling what we as the public read, hear or see, there are many ethical concerns to be considered and liberties to be safeguarded.

Media plays a big role in society these days. Whether it be letting society know what is going on the in the world today or something as simple as updates on current life on social media. The media's role in society not only delivers information of the world but also brings people together through common interests or general talks. In Brian Knappenberger's documentary: Nobody Speak: Trials of Free Press it is seen how media effect lives and how there is a much stronger meaning to what media stands for in society and why media needs to take its stand when it comes to people who want to devour them.