Terrorizing the Masses: Identity, Mass Shootings, and the Media Construction of «Terror» (Frontiers in Political Communication)

Description

Why are some crimes identified as acts of terrorism, while others are not? How are critical terms like «terrorism» and «mass shooting» defined and understood in the 21st century? What are some of the causes of the unique American epidemic of mass shootings and gun violence? Terrorizing the Masses considers the invisible role that the media play in shaping the way we think about terrorism, gun violence, fear, and identity. This book explores media coverage of five mass shootings over a 20-year period, examining the role that race, religion, and gender play in framing some of the most high-profile crimes of American society. The results of this research show that the use of «terrorism» is uneven and inconsistent. Indeed, on a practical level, «terrorism» is an almost meaningless word – it is slippery and ephemeral, and its utility is largely in propaganda. This book succinctly analyzes what «terror» means in the 21st century, how news media use the term, and how journalists can cover tragedy without falling prey to the pitfalls of sensationalism, fear, and contagion. This book is a useful text for courses on media ethics, crime and public policy, political science, terrorism studies, and communication studies. Cover Contents List of Tables and Figures Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction Research questions Methods Chapters Notes Chapter 1: Terrorism in the Mass Media: The History of a Slippery Term Government and Policy Definitions Scholarship on Terrorism Global History of Terrorism Post-1968, Pre-September 11: The Advent of Modern “International Terrorism” Post-September 11: The Current Era International and Domestic Terrorist Groups Today Media Coverage of Terrorism Media Coverage of Terrorism before September 11 Media Coverage of Terrorism After September 11 Notes Chapter 2: Mass Shootings in the United States: Mass Media and the Columbine Effect Columbine Defining Mass Shootings History of American Mass Shootings Media Coverage of Mass Shootings The Columbine Effect Identity and Coverage of Crime Nationality, the Military, and “Us” vs. “Them” Mass Shootings and American Identity Notes Chapter 3: "Nuttier than a Fruitcake”: William Kreutzer and the Fort Bragg Shooting Gun Violence and Terror in the Mid-1990s The Shooting Broadcast Media Coverage of the Shooting Nationalism and Patriotism Weapons Mental Illness in the Military Lessons of Fort Bragg Notes Chapter 4: Camp Liberty, John Russell, and the “Theater of War” Gun Violence and the Iraq War The Shooting Broadcast Media Coverage of the Shooting Nationalism, Patriotism, and the Primacy of the Military Combat Stress Absence of Military Policy/Weaponry Lessons of Camp Liberty Notes Chapter 5: Nidal Hasan and the Fort Hood Shooting: Soldier or Terrorist? Violence and Mass Shootings in Killeen and Fort Hood The Shooting Broadcast Media Coverage of the Shooting The Preeminence and Nobility of the American Military “Terrorism” or “Mass Shooting?” Orientalist Tropes in Coverage Lessons of Fort Hood Notes Chapter 6: “Terror” or “Tragedy?”: Charleston, Orlando, and Mass Shootings in the Age of Trump The Orlando Shooting and “Radical Islam”: A Partisan War of Words The Charleston Shooting and the Fight Over the Confederate Flag Analyzing Coverage of the Orlando Shooting The Charleston Shooting The Orlando Shooting Framing the Two Shootings Broadcast Coverage of the Charleston Shooting Violating the Sanctity of the Black Church The Shooting as an Unforeseen Tragedy—and the Question of How to Categorize It The Confederate Flag and the American Legacy of Racism FOX Coverage—A Narrow Vision of Racism and Responsibility Broadcast Coverage of the Orlando Shooting Terror in Orlando and the Prism of September 11 The “Lone Wolf”: Expanding the 21st-Century View of Terror The Orlando Shooting as a Symbol of Anti-LGBT Bigotry “If You’re Too Dangerous to Get on a Plane, You’re Too Dangerous to Buy a Gun” Anti-Immigrant and Anti-Refugee Rhetoric on FOX Lessons of Charleston and Orlando Notes Conclusion: Capital-T Terrorism and a Crisis of Toxic Masculinity Identity and Capital-T Terror The September 11 Effect Supporting Our Troops: The Military Media Complex and Scrutiny of Policy Lapses Covering the Military Base Shootings: Causes and Consequences Covering Weapons: Questioning Gun Procedures and Policy One of Us, Gone Astray, or Not One of Us at All: Outliers and National Identity Context Matters: The Role of Venue in Camp Liberty and Charleston Camp Liberty and the “Theater of War” Charleston and the Nobility of the Historic Black Church Redefining Terrorism—Lone Wolves and Instability How Media Define—and Enable—Terror Moving Forward: Covering Mass Shootings and Large-Scale Violence Notes Bibliography Index