The media plays a significant role in highlighting terrorist activities in a bid to inform stakeholders so that they can adopt strategies for achieving global peace. Journalists go as far as risking their very lives to cover events in conflict zones to contribute to the fight against terrorism. While this form of reporting is for a noble cause, critics feel that the media houses have not adopted practical measures to safeguard viewers, especially children from trauma. The critics indicate that war zones are bloody, marked with wounded victims and dead bodies, scenarios that leave permanent mental images in viewers. These images not only affect children but also recovery teams, victims, first responders, and the general population, making it an issue of concern. These concerns create a debate as to whether media broadcasts of terrorist activities should be regulated to reduce negative impacts on victims and non-victims. The regulation debate should align with the need to protect the viewers’ mental health while at the same time providing accurate information for taking action to end terrorism.
Arguments for Limiting Media Broadcasts on Terrorism Activities
Media freedom is a concept that highlights the degree to which broadcasting companies can show content on national or international platforms without fear of reprisal from regulatory bodies. While this freedom is a significant milestone in the industry, it leaves much to be desired, considering that it exposes the viewers to unsolicited and unregulated content. One of the sensitive areas is terrorism activities with critics asserting that the media exposes children to traumatic activities in the name of sensitization. According to Wang et al. (2006), there is a correlation between media exposure of terrorist activities and post-traumatic stress symptoms in children. In a study that comprised 95 mothers with children aged 1-4 years in Israel, the authors established the media is continually exposing children to terrorist content. This exposure is associated with the internalization and externalization of violence, which in turn becomes a part of their lives in that they tend to believe that how the world ought to be. Comer et al. (2008) affirm this proposition by establishing that there is a relationship between televised news revolving around risks for future terrorism and youth outcomes. Children who are exposed to terrorist activities have a greater likelihood of experiencing declined emotional functioning which, in turn, paves the way for anxiety, PTSD sleep problems, and behavioral withdrawal. In such a case, there is an urgent need to regulate the media broadcasts of terrorist activities to ensure that viewers’ mental health is guaranteed.
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Terrorist agencies and groups are keen on sending clear political messages to nations that they perceive to be a threat to their autonomy or independence. The media becomes one of the most dependable avenues, considering that it reaches a wide audience in real-time. Bechtold (2020) note that terrorists are always seeking to communicate the threat that they pose to a wide audience so that they can compound their influence and dominance. New communication trends in the mass media that have resulted from technological advances provide terrorists with a stage that allows them to reach an enormous audience (Bechtold, 2020). While this stage is a win for terrorist groups and sympathizers, it creates a dilemma for first responders, victims, law enforcement agencies, and the general public. The reason for this assertion is the fact that the youth who spend most of the time consuming the contents of the media are more likely to be recruited into terrorist groups. Hoffner et al. (2015) claim that 8-14 years old Americans spend a minimum of three hours watching television daily, while 20 % of Americans aged 2-17 years watch television for about 35 hours daily. These statistics are indicative of the extent of exposure to terrorism-related news. This form of exposure is criticized, considering that it wires the viewers to think that terrorism and violence are inherent in societies and as such it must be accepted and tolerated. These sentiments mean that there is no guarantee of winning the war against terrorism since it forms the very foundation of societies with the media enforcing these notions.
Disasters are associated with adverse psychological consequences, especially in children since they are categorized as vulnerable groups. Some of the most common mental health issues associated with these disasters are PSTD and separation anxiety disorder (SAD). Woven et al. (2004) note that SAD, which for a long time has not been given much attention is becoming a source of concern as it manifests in adolescence and adulthood. The authors assert that SAD is considered a post-disaster reaction that remains with children who have witnessed traumatic events such as terrorist attacks. The media, which is the primary source of traumatic news has been criticized for enhancing the internalization of feelings of vulnerability in children where they, in turn, fear for their safety. Felix et al. (2019) agree that the media exposes younger audiences to mass violence in the form of mass shootings and terror attacks, aspects that trigger distress. Individuals who consume news revolving around terrorist activities are made to believe that there is a greater likelihood of becoming targets or victims. This constant portrayal is informed by a rising number of terrorist activities in the US, meaning that people are now living in fear of attacks. A failure to regulate this portrayal in the media continues to compound this fear and, in turn, pave the way for mental health illnesses in the US.
Arguments against Limiting Media Broadcast of Terrorist Activities
Supporters of media freedom regarding reporting and covering terrorist activities and incidences applaud the media as an authoritative source of information. According to proponents, the media has the power to shape and direct public opinions on issues that matter most. Terrorism is one of the issues that have a significant place in the media, considering that it threatens global peace if it is not addressed. Silke (2003) notes that there should be no laws to regulate how the media airs terrorist-related news, considering that children too need to develop ongoing interest regarding what is happening in the world around them. Policymakers and the public should not assume that children are not active participants by imposing laws that limit the content that they can consume.
In contrast, children should be part of the ongoing conversation regarding terrorism by providing them with a voice so that they too can be socialized into critical and active citizens in the war against terrorism. Lawrence (2009) provides the Australian example where counter-terrorism laws are threatening to undermine media freedom in a bid to achieve and maintain national security. While national security is of uttermost importance, one cannot ignore the fact that the media plays a significant role in highlighting incidences of terrorism, most specifically, locations of occurrences, responsible groups, impacts, and efforts to curtail terror attacks. According to Thoresen et al. (2014), the media supplies information to the public, considering that terrorism survivors and victims have an opportunity to share their experiences so that stakeholders can take necessary actions to deal with perpetrators. In this way, the media complements regional, national, and international security agencies to improve the tracking of terrorism activities. In this case, it would be ill-advised to limit media broadcasts of terrorist activities as it would translate to curtailing individuals’ freedom to information.
Personal Opinion
Proponents of a continuation of media broadcasts of terrorism activities without considering their negative impacts on children base their arguments on freedom of information. They insist that well-functioning democracies should advocate for the need of children to consume news so that they understand what is going on in their immediate, regional, and international spheres. This aspect of democracy that is reflected in media freedom appears to be a positive aspect unless most of the news revolves around violence and terrorism. According to Kleemans et al. (2017) granting children the freedom to consume news paves the way for overly negative emotions that may, in turn, hamper their engagement. The authors go further to indicate that most of the news that media broadcasts are not adapted to children's needs and sensitivities since they tend to be sad and scary. This would be the case with news revolving around terrorism activities where there are images of maimed individuals, dead bodies, and untold destruction of property and infrastructure.
The negative emotions that are sparked by disturbing images have the potential for creating a downward spiral where viewers feel powerless. Silke (2003) asserts that the negative emotions that terrorist activities broadcasts elicit, discourage children from engaging in society as they believe that they cannot change the course of terrorism. Children will learn from an early age that the world is inherently evil, an aspect that may cause them to avoid news altogether. These outcomes indicate the need to advocate for media censorship in the news just like in other programs where content is rated to shield younger viewers.
How the Position on Media Coverage of Terrorist Attacks can Affect Children
Media coverage of terrorist attacks should be limited to cushion children against exposure to traumatizing events that may persist throughout their life. Unlike adults, children are yet to develop coping mechanisms that would allow them to interpret these events as preventable. Pfefferbaum et al. (2021) advocate for the need of regulating news just like other television programs since news revolving around terrorism activities increases the prevalence of mental illnesses. Children who consume news that elicit negative emotions are likely to feel vulnerable, considering the media advances that anyone could be a victim. A regulation on the extent to which the media can portray and cover terrorist attacks is more likely to improve the confidence that children have in their governments to protect them (Silke, 2003). If the media is to focus more on the positive aspects of the war on terror such as the arrest of perpetrators as opposed to attacks, children may feel safer.
While limiting media coverage on attacks seems like the most preferred option for promoting the wellbeing of children, it has its flaws. For one, children are always being exposed to violence through films that do not include age ratings. An insistence on limiting their exposure to news revolving around terrorism activities, therefore, is not enough to guarantee their mental health wellbeing. If the government is keen on promoting their well-being, it should also regulate all other programs as opposed to targeting news. In the same manner, limiting media coverage on terrorism attacks denies children the right to information by imagining that they do not need to know what is happening around them (Hoven, 2004). Instead, there should be a balance where children are involved in the conversation on war against terror at an early age so that they too can contribute positively towards this global agenda.
Conclusion
The media is considered a powerful avenue through which individuals, groups, and governments advance their agenda that targets a wider population. While media is heralded for transmitting vital information, the content therein has the potential of eliciting negative emotions, especially if it glorifies traumatic events. Critics of media freedom indicate that broadcasters are responsible for fueling negative emotions in individuals by covering terrorism-related news without considering their impact on younger viewers. In particular, the media tends to send the message that any person may become a victim of terror attacks, an element that makes viewers feel vulnerable. While this assertion aims at protecting citizens, it does not mean that it is valid, considering that children too need to be part of the dialogue of terrorism. They need to understand how terrorism affects their community so that they too can be part of the solution instead of shielding them from harsh realities. This back and forth debate calls for a middle ground where stakeholders, including parents, advocate for media coverage that is both responsible and educative in the war against terrorism.
References
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