Social Geometry and the 'Terrorism' Label

Abstract

The news labeling of violence varies. The same act of violence may be labeled “terrorism”, a “shooting”, or a “rampage”. Despite theory and research on the relationship between the media and terrorism, it is still unclear when news outlets will label violence “terrorism” and how frequently the label will be used. Focusing primarily on “terrorism” labeling, I use the strategy of “social geometry” to develop seven propositions that partially explain and predict the moral news labeling of violence. These principles increase our understanding of “terrorism” labeling, but also illuminate the broader issue of how deviance is defined.

Keywords

• deviance, news labeling, social control, social geometry, terrorism