Modern terrorism is attracted to the media, and some extreme terrorist groups use it since it is the role of the media to report on any significant event. Moreover, extreme terrorist acts use the media since spectacular and dramatic terrorism aspects fascinate the public. However, terrorism should not impact the significance attributed to the freedom of information and expression in the media since it is one of the essential democratic society foundations. Expression and information freedom carry with them the public right to information, especially on issues that constitute the public, including terrorism and associated threats and acts. Despite modern terrorists using the media to attract maximum attention worldwide, the fight against terrorism should not be the excuse governments use to limit press freedom.
In the modern age, terrorism has become a media component, and terrorists know and apply media principles to attract attention to nearly all of their threats and activities. Terrorists own essential technical equipment like internet facilities and video cameras, which they use to time and create images that guarantee maximum media impact (Silke 41). Governments use the dynamic to conclude that the best option to counter terrorism is to limit media reports and journalists on events and activities on terrorism. Alternatively, governments consider the other way to restrict the public from information and expression freedom is to inhibit coverage as much as possible (Seib 63). Several countries across the globe have considered and even implemented this strategy as their first option, which makes it hard for people in such countries to have events or information access on terrorism-related activities.
To a great extent, one characteristic of modern democracy is the expression of freedom and access to relevant societal or political information. Once terrorist-related information is blocked by governments, terrorists achieve one of their goals, which is to compromise modern democracy values (Nacos 32). With this comes the fundamental dilemma where on the one hand, media coverage becomes a terrorism tool to maximize public attention. On the other hand, inhibiting such information denies the public from accessing its essential information and expression freedom, which threatens the principle (Silke 43). For example, a significant conclusion in Europe would be that terrorists have victory over governments when political institutions compromise European freedom values, which constitute information and expression freedom to prevent terrorism-related activity (Prunckun and Troy 23). Cautiously, using terrorism may exclude the necessity to report any significant violent attack within the society; therefore, governments must consider their options when determining how to deal with counterterrorism.
Terrorism and terrorism-related threats and activities are not always media-related. Journalists frequently find themselves affected by terror-related activities where they become tools for negotiation, are killed as hostages, or become attack commentators and interpreters (Silke 45). With this understanding, journalists and the media have several active participation in violent crimes. Since the media is an instrument for free information flow, journalism forms a critical group in how democracy is realized. Therefore, they deserve societal and political special appreciation and protection, especially on any attack against their values.
The best possible solution to the challenge faced by the media, where governments restrict the free flow of information, is to establish cooperation between political institutions and the public without compromising media independence. On its part, the media should regard journalists as protection against harmful attacks. Like every other citizen, journalists and the complete information and expression system deserve more than ordinary political system support (Nacos 33). Since journalists form part of a particular risk group, they must profit from specific measures like scenarios where political and societal institutions simulate possible violent acts (Seib 67). Further, media institutions should educate journalists on ways they can and should react to protect themselves without compromising their freedom and sovereignty.
Acting in cooperation means being prepared; however, that does not mean expression freedom is at stake. Moreover, it does not mean that executive and political powers must be limited in how they legally protect their democratic systems (Prunckun and Troy 27). Instead of regarding themselves as conflict partners in their entirety, the media and political institutions should share one common interest. That is, every journalist’s life and that any other citizen within the society is the most valuable good (Nacos 35). When this understanding is established between the two groups, it forms the foundation for democratic development.
Modern terrorism uses the media to report its threats and activities. However, governments should not use their power to restrict the media from covering terror-related events. In so doing, terrorists gain against the fundamental freedom of expression and information, which forms one of the modern democracy characteristics. The central challenge governments create against the media is using their power to restrict the free flow of information to the public. The essay shows the best possible solution to the problem is to establish cooperation between journalists and political institutions. However, the solution is twofold. On the one hand, the media should regard journalists’ protection against any possible harm; on the other hand, even with cooperation between the two institutions, political institutions must not compromise media independence.
Work Cited
Nacos, Brigitte L. Terrorism and Counterterrorism. Sixth ed. Routledge. 2019.
Prunckun, Hank, and Troy Whitford. Terrorism and Counterterrorism: A Comprehensive Introduction to Actors and Actions. Lnne Rienner Publishers, Inc. 2019.
Seib, Philip. As Terrorism Evolves: Media, Religion, and Governance. Cambridge University Press. 2017.
Silke, Andrew. Routledge Handbook of Terrorism and Counterterrorism. Routledge. 2020.