Alexandra Patterson

Dr. Erin Dietel-McLaughlin

WR 13300
16 November 2014
Mass-Medias Contribution to the Growing Exposure of Terrorist Organizations
For centuries terrorism has been practiced by a broad array of political organizations
to further their objectives. It has been practiced by both right-wing and left-wing political
parties, nationalistic groups, religious ensembles, revolutionaries and ruling governments.
Though terrorism has been a form of destruction and upset for hundreds of years, the
infamous attacks on September 11, 2001 and after, have intensified concerns about a global
jihad and have reawakened the threat of terrorism in the world. With the intense media
coverage of the 9/11 attacks and the development of social media in the last decade, it is
appropriate to say that mass-media has allowed terrorist groups to gain more attention. New
mediums such as terrorism websites, YouTube and mobile news applications, along with the
wider accessibility to the Internet, have allowed terrorist organizations to cyber terrorize and
spread their message to massive groups of people.
The concerns about global jihad (the struggle against those who do not believe in the
Islamic God (Allah) and who do not acknowledge the submission to Muslims) are its use by
some Islamic extremist groups to drive and justify of their terrorist actions. (ISIS Fast
Facts) Religious terrorism does not in itself necessarily define a specific religious position or
view, but instead it usually defines an individual or a group interpretation of that belief
system's teachings, as in the case of radical Islamic groups. The incidence of these religious

extremist groups arising is escalating and the media is aiding them in their efforts to gain
exposure to their jihadist cause (CNN.com).
In 2013, one particularly extreme jihadist group known as the Islamic State in Iraq
and Syria: or ISIS, was formed. The group has brought terror to hundreds, occupied over
13,000 square miles of land and is thought to have over a billion dollars in assets (ISIS Fast
Facts). Starting as an al Qaeda splinter group, ISIS now has around 40,000 militants fighting
with them and is continuing to increase its number of followers. ISIS has repeatedly used
video clips, podcasts and audio files to publically demonstrate beheadings, rapes, torture,
threats and shootings of innocent civilians, Western journalists, non-Muslims and others who
do not coincide with their extreme Islamic teachings. They have used social media and video
mediums to exploit the innocence and brutally execute them. Their rhetorical use of media is
allowing their group to gain what they crave the most, a reaction.
The purpose of this essay is to assess the role that mass-media plays in terrorist
organizations ascendance to power. The terrorist group, ISIS, will act as the case study for
this essay. Through the examination of ISISs actions and the groups rhetorical use of media,
along with the analysis of research from various scholarly publications on terrorism, this
paper will evaluate how terrorist groups increase their amount followers, gain recognition
from public and spread their terror.
On August 19, 2014 in a video posted on YouTube, U.S. journalist James Foley,
missing in Syria since 2012, is decapitated by ISIS militants (ISIS Terrorists Behead
American Journalist, James Foley). The original video was removed, but the censored video
received over one million views on YouTube. The video shows Foley kneeling as a man
covered in black is standing next to him holding a knife. The video shows the ISIS militant
taunting the audience by explaining that the video was made in retaliation to American

attacks and that the beheading of James Foley was brought on by U.S. airstrikes on the
Islamic State. The ISIS militant instructs Foley to give a speech that said the United States
was the enemy and that he was not proud to be an American. The ISIS militant then goes
on to explain that the United States is getting in the way of creating an Islamic caliphate
where Muslims can live peacefully (ISIS Terrorists Behead American Journalist, James
Foley).
The video is an example of how ISIS spreads terror through cyber-terrorism. The
videos anti-American rhetoric and Islamic rhetoric was used to openly insult the United
States and the United States government. In James Herricks An Overview of Rhetoric, he
states that the art of rhetoric is the systematic study and intentional practice of symbolic
expression (Herrick 7). Herrick then precedes define rhetorical discourse as
characteristically planned, adapted to an audience, shaped by human motives, responsive to
a situation and persuasion seeking (Herrick 7-8). This video fits Herrick criteria for being
rhetorical, because the video was planned by ISIS militants, adapted to fit an American
audience and an audience that uses social media, was shaped by human motives to spread
jihadist beliefs, responsive to the airstrikes in Iraq and persuasive. The use of YouTube
allowed this video to reach millions of people and the militants goal was achieved. From the
video one can assess that the true goals of the militants was not to stop the airstrikes, but
instead their goals were first to plant fear in the eyes of viewers, second to reassert their
mission for an Islamic caliphate and third to get a reaction from the other countries. One can
see this from the videos pro- jihadist and anti-American dialogue. In the video the assailant
said that the Islamic State has gained recognition from notable countries and that the U.S.
should recognize them as an actual state (ISIS Terrorists Behead American Journalist, James
Foley). They want the U.S. to react because a reaction shows that the U.S. recognizes ISIS
as a threat and that recognition proves that ISIS is gaining power. Richard Leeman, a

professor of English and a member of the Communications Study Program at the University
of North Carolina at Charlotte, also comments on the rhetorical nature of terrorism in his
book The Rhetoric of Terrorism and Counterterrorism. Leeman declares that terrorist
typically portray their violence as a response (46). In the James Foley video, the ISIS
militant explains that the beheading was in response to U.S. airstrikes in Iraq (ISIS
Terrorists Behead American Journalist, James Foley). This is a tactic used by terrorist to
justify their actions.
The chapter titled Rhetoric of Terrorism in Leemans book The Rhetoric of
Terrorism and Counterterrorism, discuses legitimizing terrorism through popular discourse,
terroristic rhetoric as exhortation and elitism versus populism. Leeman starts off the chapter
by claiming that To use unsanctioned violence in a political setting thus invites the user to
justify, or legitimate, that violence (46). All of ISISs videos, audio clips, publications and
fighting has been justified by their extremist Islamic beliefs. ISIS strategically uses terror to
gain power and argues jihad to justify the means in which they gain their power. They gather
support from their religious, anti-Western rhetoric and anti-globalization rhetoric. Leeman
states that
Terrorist invest the people with a traditional, almost mystical, kind of power they
want to restore to the people power over their own destinies, but a rhetorical tension
arises for terrorists: to ground their legitimacy in the people yet to exhort that same
people in the ways of the Truth (60).

ISISs hones in on the anger felt by some Islamic people over the influence that Western
nations have in their culture and they manipulate that anger into hate which is the aspect that
drives all of their crimes. ISISs terrorist actions such as killing hundreds of Christians,

kidnapping and raping Yazidis women, shooting Sunni Muslims and displacing hundreds is
an example of a terrorist group appeals to the people only to harm them in the long-run in
order to maintain their vision of the Truth, or in ISISs case their vision of an Islamic
caliphate. Leeman assesses how terrorism groups spread their messages of violence and
realizes that the manner in which terrorists attract their audiences is extremely important. He
claims that In McLuhanesque fashion, the medium of violence becomes the message (47).
This sentiment is also expressed in Mahmoud Eids The New Era of Media and terrorism.
Mahmoud Eid, a faculty member at the University of Ottawa in the Department of
Communication, agrees with Leeman and believes that it is important to acknowledge the
growing strength of media and terrorisms relationship due to modern development of mass
media and communication technologies (609). In his article, Eid criticizes the role of massmedia in fueling terrorism. His article discusses how media coverages biased points of views
and sensationalized stories are giving more air time to terrorist which is what terrorist want.
He also claims that terrorist access to media is increasing the amount of cyber-terrorism
occurring. Eid claims that Terrorist have become increasingly dependent on mass-media
technology and demonstrate great capabilities with regards to exploiting them (609). Eid
also discusses the media coverage of the 9/11 attacks in his article and states that news
media often amplify the true implications of terrorist events; meanwhile, they provide only
limited coverage of antiterrorismand in order to curb the further expansion of terrorist
attacks, civilians of attractive nations for political violence must be aware of, and involve in,
countermeasures (612). Here, Eid is claiming that even when media groups are covering the
terrorists actions, they can provide spins on the story that cause events to become
sensationalized, which consequently puts the emphasis on the terrorists instead of the efforts
to stop them. Media gives terrorist a voice and with that voice they can cause even more
destruction. In the case of ISIS, when the videos of the beheadings and torture were released,

the news media that followed was almost worse. There was news from all different types of
mediums to report on the events, but when unqualified or competitive news agents report the
news, that actually deters people from the real problem. Sensationalized or dramatized
news often deals with the victims and puts emphasis on the terrorist, which then creates terror
with the viewers because the viewer is unsure of the counterterrorism actions nations are
making if news media only focuses the power that the terrorist have gained.
The use of the Internet is not thwarting terrorism. Scholars claim that the inexpensive
and user-friendly nature of the Internet allows for terrorist to recruit members and spread
information with ease, creating a threatening new climate for terrorism (Eid 611). ISIS has
definitely utilized the Internet to gain support and further terrorize people thousands of miles
away. Recently, three American teenage girls tried to leave the United States to go fight with
ISIS because of propaganda and pro ISIS websites they found on the Internet (ISIS Fast
Facts). According to CNN,
ISIS has, for an anti-Western organization, been surprisingly attractive to young
recruits from the West, as well as to some young women. More than 100 of the
foreign fighters have come from the United States, according to intelligence estimates;
hundreds more from Europe, which is geographically closer to the fight (ISIS Fast
Facts).
The persuasive nature and dangerous nature of the Internet is an ideal tool for terrorist
organizations to use to terrorize and falsely incentivize people to join their cause. Though
ISIS does primarily communicate to outside groups via social media, video messages, web
posts and audio clips, they still have a more traditional medium that they use to persuade
people. The Islamic militant group is also pushing its extremist views in a slick online
magazine. The publication first appeared in July 2014and has had four issues released to the

public. The name of the magazine is "Dabiq" after a town in northern Syria. The magazine
highlights the clash between Islam and the West by portraying U.S. President Barack Obama
and Sen. John McCain as "crusaders" who will "bring about the complete collapse of the
modern American empire" (Dabiq 4: 7-8).
Dabiq, though less utilized by the public in comparison to other mediums, includes a
considerable more amount of religious propaganda and anti-Western rhetoric. "If you can kill
a disbelieving American or European...or an Australian or a Canadian...then rely upon Allah,
and kill him in any manner" (Dabiq 4: 17). The magazine uses photo-shopped images of
sacred locations to degrade the sites and insult the Western world. The magazine uses gores
of religious rhetoric to justify the groups terrorist behaviors and recruit others to join their
cause. An article entitled The Revival of Slavery Before the Hour, acknowledges the
enslavement of female members of the Yazidi sect after ISIS militant overran Yazidi villages
in northwestern Iraq. The article outlined the religious justifications for slavery and praised
its revival. ISISs use of a magazine to expose their views was again a response to al Qaedas
magazine, Inspire. By publishing this magazine ISIS is attempting to prove that they are just
powerful as al Qaeda and that they should receive the same recognition that the infamous al
Qaeda organization.
Although ISIS seems to have gained a great influence over the world, some people
still doubt the power that terrorist can actually achieve. Max Abrahms, a doctoral candidate in
political science at the University of California, Los Angeles, believes that terrorist coercive
efforts and political gains are minimal and that terrorism is not effective. In his article Why
Terrorism Does Not Work, he goes into depth about the categories that political scientist use
to determine if terrorism is effective. Abrahms studies 28 terrorist groups and plots and
claims that terrorism is not effective because the group often do not achieve sufficient
political gains. He argues that

The greatest reason deterrence breaks down is because of the widespread, albeit
erroneous, belief that attacking civilians is an effective strategy for terrorist groups to
advance their policy goals. Disabusing terrorists of this notion would go a long way
toward defusing the cycles of violent reprisal (77).
Abrahams fails to realize that terrorist groups are effective in causing terror and
getting recognition. Terrorists inevitably bring forth a problem that might have not
been address before and forces people to if address the problem or at least recognize
that it is there. ISISs use of violent videos and social media are effective when
conveying their upset with the Western world.
ISIS has caused thousands of people to become victims and has distressed and
terrorized many people in the world. They document their torture of the innocent and
terrorize people thousands of miles away who watch the group in disgust and fear.
They occupied thousands of miles of land and are on their way to creating a caliphate.
Though counterterrorism forces may stop them in the long-run, the damage is already
done. Terrorist groups, such as ISIS, are effective because they effectively terrorize
and cyber-terrorism and they force the world to watch and recognize their actions. In
Eids article he expresses how government officials work to eradicate online content
dedicated to hate and terrorist propaganda, their efforts are usually unsuccessful
(611). An example of this is when the government tried to remove the original ISIS
beheading videos, but were unsuccessful as civilians kept uploading versions of the
ISIS beheadings. Unlike Eid, Abrahams failed to take into account the impact of the
Internet and the always lingering terror that the ISISs militants will have because
they posted that video to the Internet.

Through the research of the topic of media and terrorism and the analysis of
the James Foley beheading video, one can conclude that the relationship between
media and terrorism is growing stronger the occurrence of new forms of mediums.
Terrorist groups are now able to communicate, recruit and terrorize people all over the
world. This global communication allows extreme Islamic terrorist groups, such as
ISIS, to easily spread their message of global jihad. The media coverage of terrorist
groups is another problem because it puts an emphasis on terrorists and
sensationalizes news to gain the bigger profit. If one goes to a news outlet they will
immediately see that people are attracted to violent news because most of the news
reported is about crime. This attraction to violence in society grants journalist the
privilege to more on the terrorists efforts versus the counterterrorism efforts and is
possibly the reason for why the James Foley video received over one million hits on
YouTube. As Eids states, it is essential to understand that each party (media and
terrorist organizations) uses the other to achieve its objectives, and each party has
evolved over time (614). It is true that terrorist thrive off of media exposure and
media thrives off of reporting on terrorism. Further research is needed to determine
the magnitude of the relationship between media and terrorist organizations and to
examine in depth the rhetorical nature of specific mediums that are used by terrorism.
Understanding these factors might help thwart other terrorist groups from arising and
could make it more difficult for terrorist to cyber-terrorize or engage in mass-media
terrorism.

Works Cited

Abrahms, M. Why terrorism does not work. International Security, 31(2), 42-78. 2006. N.p.

"Dabiq (Magazine) Issue #4.pdf." - DocDroid. N.p., Oct. 2014. Web. 1 Nov. 2014.

Eid, M. The new era of media and terrorism. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 36(7), 609615. 2013. N.p.

"ISIS Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 3 Nov. 2014. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis-fast-facts/>.

"ISIS Terrorists Behead American Journalist, James Foley." YouTube. Ed. Intel Analyst.
YouTube, 19 Aug. 2014. Web. 4 Nov. 2014.

Leeman, R. W. The rhetoric of terrorism and counterterrorism.1991. N.p.