Study: Media unknowingly propagates militancy

Militant outfits tend to use the media tactically to spread their messages and the media sometimes serve the purpose unknowingly by simply publishing news of militancy through exaggerating details, new research reveals.

The study, “The Symbiotic Relationship between Media and Terrorism,” was presented at a webinar on Sunday.

It further observed that newspapers are committed to publishing the truth but sometimes violate the principles of journalism by publishing “thrilling” news or engaging in unhealthy competition.

Moreover, the media’s attempt to dramatize, use of detailed description of events, and unwanted adjectives to stir up readers’ feelings, and fabricated or speculative interpretations of premature news have harmed society and moved readers, leading them to a different direction, according to the study.

This can never be desirable from a responsible media, notes the research paper.

Dhaka University Mass Communication and Journalism Associate Professor Shabnam Azim presented the study on the first day of a three-day webinar that began on Sunday, a press release said on Monday.

The Transnational Crime (CTTC) Unit of Bangladesh Police and Centre for Genocide Studies (CGS) jointly organized the webinar, entitled “Ensuring life without terror: Responses to terrorism in Bangladesh”, from Sunday to Tuesday.

The researcher further discussed the media's approach to terrorism, choice of vocabulary, attitudes and editorial policy. 

The study recommended training and workshops for the journalists concerned, workshops for policy makers of the media, continuous dialogues between police and policy makers, and guidelines on reporting the issues. 

The study also suggested taking steps aimed at establishing anti-terrorism opinions via programs broadcast on television. 

The study also recommended that the police force use media-friendly words during the dissemination of militancy related information. This would help to avert misunderstanding and confusion and the person briefing the media must have very good skills in presenting information and his/her approach should be media friendly, said the study.