Professor Scott Althaus is studying the question of how news organizations can better report acts of terrorism. With his latest research Althaus and colleagues at universities in Europe will study how media coverage can avoid sensationalizing terror attacks.
"We want to understand how journalists can more responsibly report on terror attacks that provide the democratic needs of citizens while avoiding serving the strategic goals of terrorist organizations," Althaus said.
The research will occur over a period of three years, starting in June 2017. It will look at the coverage of terror events from 1945 through the present time and will evaluate print, online, radio and broadcast sources.
Professor Althaus said, "If we could help journalists come up with different ways to report on these things and give people what they need but don't give the terrorists what they want then that's going to be the win for the project."