Terrorism and the Media

"An immensely readable collection of perspectives on the relationship between insurgent terrorism and the media which is long overdue and which sets the standard for future investigation in an area almost devoid of objective review. . . . This is a powerful collection of essays, partly due to the sense the reviewer has that editors Paletz and Schmid approached their subject with almost missionary zeal. This is not to say that they lack intellectual rigour; they most certainly do not, but their style, together with that of their contributors, reflects a real commitment to set the academic pace. . . . If I were a professor . . . [I would tell] my students to read Terrorism and the Media when they weren't listening to me. No one could wish for a better perspective than that."

--The Journal of Contingencies & Crisis Management

"The book is an excellent starting point, rich with examples, citations, and perspectives lacking in many earlier volumes. It offers readers analytical insight into the goals and aspirations of the various players. It will become a major departure point for anyone wishing to understand the roles played by media in terrorist violence. . . . Gerrits' study makes excellent use of memoirs and interviews of participants to show the importance of communication to the groups and their purposes. But she avoids the narrow bias against the media portrayed by many observers of the problem."

--Journal of Communication

"This book is a rarity in the academic literature on terrorism: a theme pursued for the most part with genuine intellectual quality control. Social scientific rigor outweighs loose moralizing; and research rather than intuition backs up the contributors' judgments."

--Brendan O'Leary, London School of Economics

"Terrorism and the Media is an unusual, important, and thoughtful collaboration by two major authorities in different fields--terrorism and media studies. It's the most comprehensive overview available that discusses the experiences of all participants."
--David C. Rapoport, University of California, Los Angeles
Editor, Terrorism and Political Violence

"This is a long awaited book. It is a unique collection of studies and reviews of different perspectives on the media-terrorism nexus. It includes the perspectives of the terrorists, the governments, the media, the victims, and the researchers. It combines excellent reviews of the studies conducted in this area with some original data and analysis. This is a comprehensive and interesting book that covers the many facets of mass-mediated terrorism including a critical review of the assumptions and approaches guiding researchers in this value-laden area."

--Gabriel Weimann, University of Haifa, Israel

"Much of the literature on terrorism and the media is based on anecdotal, impressionistic, and even propagandistic treatments. The editors of this pioneering effort attempt to remedy this shortcoming by assembling authorities from different academic disciplines, including journalism, who have explored the topic more systematically. The result is a data-filled, yet interesting, account of the views of terrorists (obtained through memoirs and interviews), broadcasting organizations, journalists, editors, the public, and the victims (gathered by questionnaires, interviews and journalistic techniques). . . . Highly recommended."
--Choice

"Terrorism and the Media is a valuable book on a topic that has received much attention in the last 20 years. It should prove useful to scholars who work in this area."

--Journalism Quarterly

Terrorism and the Media is the first book to present the diverse perspectives of those involved with terrorism and the media: researchers, terrorists, government, broadcasting organizations, editors, reporters, the public, and the victims. The book is based on original material gathered from terrorists' spokespersons and writings, as well as on questionnaire responses from broadcasters and editors; additionally, the book contains a reporter's personal account, includes a comprehensive interpretation of opinion polls, and analyzes the experiences of victims. It also features a definitive categorization and assessment of the literature on terrorism. Highly regarded for their previous work in this area, the contributors scrutinize such key issues as freedom of the press, codes of ethics, intimidation, victimization, and censorship. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, Terrorism and the Media will appeal to scholars and students in political science, communication studies, journalism, and international relations.