Over the years the media has offered exclusive and detailed coverage of terrorism. One such case was the coverage of the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Whether it is in the hope for information that is crucial in averting potential future attacks, or whether it is in an effort to digest and process the event, one thing that psychologists agree on is the psychological torture it imposes on the general public. According to Hoffman and Kruczek (2011), these images endorse PTSD among the general population. They consider the effect of the memories these images bring, which include the loss of dear ones, displacement, loss of property. Triggering such memories is a crucial factor in depression among the affected. And while the media dwells extensively on the issue, I believe it is doing more harm triggering depression than it is creating awareness. For the sake of the lives it implicates, there cannot be any justification, and the media coverage of such scenic events should be regulated.
It is not just about the impact it has on the affected population, but these coverages are creating a new environment of violence altogether to the average American viewer. In assessing the effects such images have on the mental development of the typical audience, Hamblen (2013) highlights studies that target the general population who watched the Oklahoma City bombing shortly before the 9/11 attacks. In narrowing down to reports on the Oklahoma school children in grades 6 through to 12, two-thirds of this criterion whose television viewing was bomb-related reported more PTSD symptoms than those children who did not watch as much bomb-related television. Interesting to note, the children under study did not see, hear, or feel the explosion and did not know anyone who was killed or injured. The findings presented a definite conclusion on the effect of such images; watching bombed-related television contributed to an increase in PTSD symptoms. With these significant concerns, indirect exposures to violence should be minimized.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
References
Hamblen, J. (2013). Media coverage of traumatic events: Research on effects. National Center for PTSD, United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved from https://www. ptsd. va. gov/professional/trauma/basics/media-coveragetraumatic- events. asp .
Hoffman, M. A., & Kruczek, T. (2011). A bioecological model of mass trauma: Individual, community, and societal effects. The Counseling Psychologist , 39 (8), 1087-1127.
