So much published, so little understood: Explaining counterterrorism coverage in the press
Abstract
A large proportion of stories on the terrorism "beat" in newspapers are devoted to stories about counterterrorism, yet scholarship on the media coverage-terrorism nexus mainly focuses on the publication of stories about terrorist attacks. This inattention to counterterrorism coverage reinforces the view that the news media are interested in selling fear rather than reassurance. This dissertation explores the content of counterterrorism stories published in The Washington Post over a 30-year period in an effort to explain the factors that make counterterrorism a more or less prominent news story in the print media. Governments need the media to cover counterterrorism in order to counteract the psychological effects of terrorist attacks. Using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, I find that who is mentioned in the article as it relates to their position on or strategies for combating terrorism determines the prominence of reports about counterterrorism. This is contrary to extant studies on prominence of terrorism related events, which suggest subject matter characteristics determine story placement. In the case of counterterrorism, subject matter is irrelevant to placement. This dissertation has important implication for those studying how the media works. The findings support a balanced view of media coverage, and if the media are selling fear, it is not in a straightforward way that is being represented in the literature.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Clawson, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Journalism|Political science|Mass communications
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