The way the media reports on terrorism can have unintended negative impacts, says a report by the defence and security think-tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
The report by Dr Jess White acknowledged huge public interest in terrorism, ‘but a disproportionate focus on terrorist attacks can raise levels of fear and contribute to terrorist objectives’. Among her recommendations, she said that police should provide ‘timely and detailed information to help counteract mis- and disinformation during an active incident’. The media for its part should write internal written guidance, and carry out training. The two sides, media and police, should build trust through increasing communication and flow of information.
While the media want to report stories accurately and at speed, and ideally better and faster than their competitors; the public wants as much information as possible, as quickly as possible; and the police want to control the flow of information, to ensure their work to secure public safety is not impeded.
The novelty of high-quality photo and video content put out by Islamic State’s sophisticated digital communications strategies required learning on how reporting and sharing content can contribute to the amplification of propaganda, the report said. The fast-pace nature of the changing media landscape, rise in availability of communications platforms and increase in terrorists’ ability to fulfil their own media strategies have all presented new challenges.
While core terrorism coverage is usually provided by more experienced reporters, often younger, relatively inexperienced journalists may create online coverage and blog live. While social media reporting of terrorism did not fall within the report remit, it did say that social media offers a wealth of content, often much faster than waiting for official communications from the police. During or after a terrorist attack, the public may be sharing photos and videos. However, terrorism is a particularly sensitive topic, as it involves traumatic events. The police might put out notices on not sharing videos and photos of a crime scene, but it is up to the public to choose whether to follow instructions.
RUSI’s research was commissioned by the Assistant Commissioner of Specialist Operations for the London Metropolitan Police Service Neil Basu, Head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing. In a foreword and in a webinar launching the report, he recalled how in March 2019, after the Christchurch gun attack in New Zealand, he wrote an open letter challenging the way it and other egregious terrorist attacks were reported. He wrote: “It is my job to counter terrorism in the UK and to protect its interests overseas, but I also see a crucial part of my job as reducing the fear of terrorism. I feel a deep personal responsibility to explore anything that could move the dial on this – even a little. I have always said that communities defeat terrorism and we must all do our part, acknowledging that security must never come at the expense of our civil liberties. Nevertheless, I am asking the media community to join with me and help defeat both terrorism and the fear it creates.”
News organisations in the UK face multiple challenges, including shrinking space due to the expansion of online news sources, faster news cycles and the prevalence of unverified information. Public appetite for information, especially after a terrorist attack, plays a role in both police communications and media reporting. The expansion of citizen journalism and sharing of content online has reshaped the information landscape. The police face multiple challenges and competing priorities, including balancing the communication of information with the protection of public trust and ongoing investigations and operations.
You can download the report at the RUSI website.
