The relation between the media and terrorism is quite complex. One reason for this is that the media is not a monolith, but a multi-headed creature that speaks in many tongues. The written, audio, and visual media offer a great variety of conflicting messages. The media has been split on the matter of terror as well as on its definition. What one newspaper sees as an act of terror is hailed by another as an act of national resistance. What certain television networks see as acts of self-defence are viewed by other networks as acts of aggression. The media is prone to propaganda. In their reportage and commentary, journalists may inadvertently propagate the ideas of the terrorists, if just by allowing them access to the public. Let's remember that terrorists love publicity and crave media coverage. Their tactic is to gain publicity through action. This is why terrorist organisations are always in touch with the media, feeding reporters with statements, demands and details of attacks. Al-Qaeda, to mention only one terror group, makes a point of sending its audio and video messages to major television channels, notably Al-Jazeera. Terrorist groups have access to the media. They use this access, especially debate programmes, to promote their ideas. Not only that, the information revolution has offered terrorists a superb type of media. The Internet now swarms with hundreds of websites through which terrorists can disseminate uncensored material across borders. The electronic and multimedia has opened new horizons for publicity worldwide. The use of the media for propaganda is remarkably effective in the case of "state terrorism". When governments are the ones resorting to terror, they have little trouble manipulating even independent and privately owned media. We've seen this happen in the case of the US and Israel where the official media often stands by state terrorism, deceiving the public, blaming the victims, and exonerating the culprits meanwhile. It has recently transpired that some official quarters -- especially the US administration -- sponsor articles justifying acts of state terrorism against other nations. Local writers, from the very nations subjected to state terrorism, were given these articles and encouraged to run them in "national" papers under their name (in return for a fee of course). Let's not forget that most Third World media is vulnerable to propaganda for over 80 per cent of information in these countries is recycled from countries of the "centre". So imagine the power of major countries engaged in state terrorism -- especially the US -- as they manipulate the media to justify acts of state terrorism. And here is the best part. In recent years, major countries have created satellite television stations broadcasting in Arabic and targeting our region (such as the US-run Al-Hurra television and Radio Sawa) so as to have direct access to the local audience. The US State Department has released plans for a multi-million dollar project to boost "friendly" media in the Arab world. All of the above is used to provide effective means for the justification of one of the most insidious forms of terrorism in our time: state terrorism.
