Packaging Terrorism

Susan Moeller is the Director of the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda (ICMPA) at the University of Maryland, College Park.

"The book is engaging and should be of interest to academics and general readers alike." (CHOICE, November 2009) “The book is well-written, very informative, and engagingly convincing. Moeller develops a compelling argument on how politicians and media corporations package terrorism to attain political and economic ends. Moeller’s book can resonate with various kinds of readers. In fact, many readers might find the book to be one of the best analyses of the media’s coverage of terror.” (International Journal of Communication, 2009) “Susan Moeller trains her scholarly eye on the role of the media in our understanding of modern-day terrorism. She has produced a valuable, important, and timely study—essential reading for all of us.”Marvin Kalb, Edward R. Murrow Professor Emeritus at Harvard University “A sober and timely analysis of the toxic mix of politics, terrorism, and the media since 9/11. Moeller lays bare the price paid by the West, but also points to a better way forward.”Richard Sambrook, Director, BBC Global News “Packaging Terrorism is an urgently needed meditation on how journalism has too often failed to ask the hard questions about the ‘War on Terror’ and become instead a weapon of propaganda. Susan Moeller’s timely book is a must-read for all concerned journalists and citizens.”John Owen, Professor of International Journalism, City University, London “An outstanding in-depth analysis of one of the most difficult and controversial issues in modern journalism. Moeller critically dissects the roles of government and media, laying bare the spin, manipulation of language, and vested interests that all too often distort the true story and deceive the public.”Stephen Jukes, Dean of the Media School at Bournemouth University; former Global Head of News at Reuters “If you need a thoughtful, thorough, and challenging survey of recent media treatment of terrorism, then this is it. Susan Moeller is a clever and realistic analyst of how journalism treats this vital subject. She has both an insider’s understanding of the media and the intelligence and research to mount a critical attack on those who misrepresent the true nature of political violence.”Charlie Beckett, London School of Economics; Director, POLIS “Susan Moeller has exploded a bomb, splintering the ‘War on Terror.’ This thoroughly researched book provides an X-ray image of the US and British media as they have grappled with reporting the news of terrorism and war. It is a stinging rebuke of this largely profit-driven profession and also a primer for students of journalism on how to cover war and violence to make us better informed citizens in a democracy.”Nayan Chanda, Yale Center for the Study of Globalization

• Abbreviations viiiIntroduction: A Very Simple Idea 1I What Is Terrorism? 3II How Is Terrorism Covered? 36III What Are the Images of Terror? 128IV Conclusion: Packaging Terrorism 179Appendix: ICMPA Studies of Media Coverage of Terrorism Incidents 189Acknowledgments 195Notes 200Index 230