Media coverage of urban terrorism-new challenges and prospects

Abstract

This article analyzes and highlights the terrorist organizations which receive an overwhelming amount of media coverage, bordering on sensationalism. Unfortunately, terrorism is one topic where media coverage likely carries dire consequences: our recent research suggests that covering terrorist groups actively encourages them to attack more, makes the groups more popular, and fosters radicalisation, thereby facilitating the recruitment process. The evolution of mass communication dramatically changed the scene of terrorism and the way terrorists conduct their affairs. Precisely, we draw attention to the media coverage on urban terrorism -What are the consequences of that coverage? The results are quite consistent in suggesting that more coverage causes more attacks.