Media Literacy, Terrorism, and Fear

Abstract

Terrorism affects millions of individuals worldwide. Those directly exposed show considerably elevated rates of anxiety, fear, and diagnosable mental disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression. In addition, in the aftermath of terrorism vast numbers of individuals outside proximal danger are simultaneously exposed to vivid and gruesome images and to powerful projections of threat, uncertainty, and danger through media‐based exposure. Research is increasingly identifying how extended media‐based contact with terrorism is associated with negative mental health outcomes. Internet‐based contact with terrorism may be particularly concerning, as the content that is broadcast across social media outlets is not regulated by the same standards, sensitivities, and ethics as those of traditional print and television journalism. Research finds that the promoting of media literacy and news literacy can mitigate some of the negative effects of media‐based terrorism exposure. Without trivializing any actual risks, individuals can learn to appreciate the precise probability (as opposed to possibility) of their being directly affected by terrorism, to recognize the dramatic nature of such news pieces, and to consider positive and hopeful aspects of the world that are not addressed in the news.

Who Is Concerned about Terrorist Attacks? A Religious Profile

“…(Fischer et al 2010). As internet-based contact is not regulated by the same standards and ethics as those of traditional print and television journalism, it may be possible to be inferred that this kind of information is mostly misinformation (Comer 2019), which may contribute to the perception of threat. Disruptive events, such as terrorist attacks, have many impacts both at the psychosocial and societal level; post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, fear, and anxiety are frequently associated with terrorist attacks (Oksanen et al 2018).…”