Deck 11: The Information Battleground: Terrorist Violence and the Role of the Media

Question 1

The "news triage" refers to ______.

A) the triangle effect in reporting the news
B) the three-pronged attempt to promote truth, information, and substance
C) the decision by media outlets on which events to report, and how to report selected events
D) both "the triangle effect in reporting the news" and "the three-pronged attempt to promote truth, information, and substance"

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Common examples of the New Media include which of the following?

A) television news magazines
B) electronic "town hall" meetings
C) political talk radio
D) all of these

Answer 2

D

Question 3

How might the contagion effect become a legitimate concern to the global community?

A) Terrorists could spread deadly diseases to mass populations.
B) Terrorists could copy and repeat violence that they perceive as having been successful.
C) The contagion effect is only an unproven theory, and is therefore of no concern.
D) None of these.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Common examples of mass communications include which of the following?

A) the Internet
B) audio broadcasts
C) leaflets, pamphlets, and flyers
D) all of these

Question 5

Which of the following descriptions of the contagion effect is most accurate?

A) It is an unproven theory.
B) There is a strong argument that terrorists do engage in "copycat" behavior.
C) The global community is vulnerable to terrorists who communicate with each other.
D) None of these.

Question 6

The contagion effect refers to which of the following?

A) the use of biological weapons against porous nodes
B) the spread of disease as a result of terrorist use of toxins
C) the theoretical influence of media exposure on the future behavior of like-minded extremists
D) both "the use of biological weapons against porous nodes" and "the spread of disease as a result of terrorist use of toxins"

Question 7

In the United States, which of the following ethical standards are recommended when reporting terrorist incidents?

A) avoid unchallenged terrorist propaganda
B) never try to solve a situation
C) do not serve as a spokesman/accomplice of the terrorists
D) all of these

Question 8

Propaganda refers to which of the following?

A) spreading lies about an opponent
B) strong media gatekeeping
C) applying the contagion effect
D) "spinning" information for political benefit

Question 9

In the United States, freedom of reporting about matters affecting security policy ______.

A) is permitted because of the people's right to know
B) is unregulated because of First Amendment principles
C) has periodically been regulated by restricting media access to information about matters that affect security policy
D) none of these

Question 10

Media "gatekeeping" refers to ______.

A) regulation of the media in state-regulated systems
B) self-regulation by the free press
C) holding the line on reporting terrorist propaganda
D) none of these

Question 11

Which of the following propositions is most accurate?

A) Societies and violent extremists actively wage "war" on the Internet.
B) The Internet is rarely used by violent extremists.
C) Internet access by violent extremists is prevented by governments and corporations.
D) The Internet is relatively useless for spreading the message of violent extremists.

Question 12

Which of the following propositions regarding the media's use of language is most accurate?

A) If the language reported by the media is not grammatically correct, the public will be misinformed.
B) The language reported by the media must have emotional content in order to keep the attention of the public.
C) The more sensational the language, the less likely the public will give their attention to the report.
D) The language reported by the media can affect our perceptions of terrorists and extremists.

Question 13

Which of the following statements is most accurate?

A) Violent extremists are indifferent to the attention they receive from the mass media; they are only interested in their revolution.
B) The mass media generally self-censor what they report in order to keep violent extremists from receiving too much attention.
C) Governments generally control how the mass media report news on violent extremists.
D) Violent extremists actively court attention from the mass media.

Question 14

Which of the following propositions is most accurate regarding the state-regulated press?

A) The government actively tries to control the reporting of news concerning violent extremists.
B) The government relies on journalistic self-regulation.
C) The media engage in gatekeeping.
D) Both "the government relies on journalistic self-regulation" and "the media engage in gatekeeping."

Question 15

Media-oriented terrorism refers to ______.

A) terrorist denunciations of journalists and other members of the media
B) terrorists intentionally calculating how their acts of violence can be committed to attract media attention
C) the intentional avoidance of attacks that could attract unwanted media attention
D) both "terrorist denunciations of journalists and other members of the media" and "terrorists intentionally calculating how their acts of violence can be committed to attract media attention"

Question 16

Regulation of the media in the United States ______.

A) can be undertaken during times of crisis
B) is possible when Executive Orders are issued
C) tends to rely on standards of self-regulation and media gatekeeping
D) "can be undertaken during times of crisis" and "is possible when Executive Orders are issued" only

Question 17

Which of the following statements regarding tabloid approaches to the media is most accurate?

A) Tabloid reporting allows for accurate reporting of terrorist incidents.
B) Tabloid reporting has no relevance for reporting terrorist incidents.
C) Tabloid reporting sensationalizes terrorist incidents.
D) Tabloid reporting creates an open news cycle.

Question 18

Which of the following media outlets have been used by violent extremists?

A) Twitter
B) encrypted smartphones
C) online magazines
D) all of these

Question 19

Which of the following propositions is most accurate regarding the free press?

A) The government actively tries to control the reporting of news concerning violent extremists.
B) The government relies on journalistic self-regulation.
C) The media engage in gatekeeping.
D) Both "the government relies on journalistic self-regulation" and "the media engage in gatekeeping."

Question 20

Which of the following statements regarding descriptive media language in reporting terrorism is most accurate?

A) Descriptive language often changes over time.
B) Descriptive language has remained largely unchanged for many years.
C) Descriptive language has no relevance for reporting terrorism.
D) Both "descriptive language has remained largely unchanged for many years" and "descriptive language has no relevance for reporting terrorism."

Question 21

What is the "new media"? How has it revolutionized the delivery of information to targeted audiences in a terrorist environment?

Question 22

The reporting of terrorist incidents in the "new media" is easily regulated.

Question 23

Should media gatekeeping be regulated in an active terrorist environment?

Question 24

Discuss Hezbollah's expertise in manipulating the international media.

Question 25

What factors influence the news triage?

Question 26

Descriptive language in reporting terrorism has remained largely unchanged.

Question 27

Tabloid approaches to the media allow for accurate reporting of terrorist incidents.

Question 28

Propaganda refers to creating and spreading lies about an opponent.

Question 29

The state-regulated press has been successful in ending publicity enjoyed by terrorists.

Question 30

The contagion effect occurs when terrorists copy each other's methods.

Question 31

Groups like Hezbollah do not intentionally seek media attention.

Question 32

TWA Flight 847 is an example of media manipulation by terrorist organizations.

Question 33

Discuss what is meant by "the media as a weapon."

Question 34

The Official Secrets Act is an example of regulating information in a totalitarian state.

Question 35

Why are the use of euphemistic language and labeling important facets in the reporting of terrorist incidents?

Question 36

Al Jazeera is a terrorist propaganda organization.

Question 37

Briefly discuss the risk of backlash in the reporting of terrorist incidents.

Question 38

What is the meaning and what are the implications of the phrase "information is power"?

Question 39

In what ways can the language used (and reported) by the media affect our perceptions of terrorists and extremists?

Question 40

Describe how organizations such as Lebanon's Hezbollah are effective manipulators of media information.

Question 41

How can the contagion effect become a legitimate concern to the global community? What kind of scenarios would lead it to become a legitimate concern?

Question 42

To what extent should information be regulated within an active terrorist environment? How should information be regulated under such conditions? What types of information should be regulated? What are the potential dangers of too much, or too little, regulation? Explain your answers.

Question 43

Explain the central role of the media in the war on terrorism. Why is the "information battleground" such a key factor from the perspective of victims of terrorism? Why is it such a key factor from the perspective of the terrorists? Explain your answer.

Question 44

What are the implications of government manipulation and control of the reporting of news? Critique government intervention in the "spin" of events by news outlets.

Question 45

In your opinion, what kind of news reporting environment is preferable when terrorist incidents occur? Explain your answer.

Question 46

How successful was the United States in winning the war for the "information high ground" in the years following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks? Explain your answer.

Question 47

Discuss how the participants in a terrorist environment are affected by the "war for the information high ground." How are these participants affected by what is reported by the media? Explain your answer.

Question 48

How focused are extremists on achieving media and political attention from their behavior? Describe potential benefits achieved from such attention.

Question 49

Discuss the effectiveness of terrorism within the contexts of the use of the Internet, the broadcast media, and communications technologies. How have communications outlets been exploited by violent extremists? How have these outlets changed the nature of the terrorists' impact on audiences? Explain your answer.

Question 50

Discuss the implications of the rise of independent non-Western news outlets such as Al Jazeera.