Terrorism as Media Event

Abstract

Proving that terrorism should be seen as a media event (as defined by Dayan and Katz)after 9/11 and treated accordingly. We have turned to the work of Dayan and Katz and GeorgeGerbner’s for a definition of media events and of violence in the mass media. This paper is ahermeneutical interpretation of the concept of terrorism and its relation to communication. We haveput forward a better understanding of the complex concept of terrorism and its definitions in the massmedia context. Terrorism nowadays should always be defined within its inherent relation with themedia. The article is the first to define terrorism as media evenit in Dayan and Katz’s terms.

Keywords

• George Gerbner
• mass media
• Cultural Indicators Project
• manipulation
• violence