Editing Terrorism (section)

==== Mass media ====
[[File:Causes-of-death-in-USA-vs.-media-coverage.png|thumb|Causes of death in the US vs media coverage. The percentage of media attention for terrorism (about 33-35%) is much greater than the percentage of deaths caused by terrorism (less than 0.01%).]]
[[File:Plakat La Terroriste.jpg|thumb|''La Terroriste'', a 1910 poster depicting a female member of the [[Combat Organization of the Polish Socialist Party]] throwing a bomb at a Russian official's car]]
Mass media exposure may be a primary goal of those carrying out terrorism, to expose issues that would otherwise be ignored by the media. Some consider this to be manipulation and exploitation of the media.<ref>The Media and Terrorism: A Reassessment [[Paul Wilkinson (professor)|Paul Wilkinson]]. ''Terrorism and Political Violence'', Vol. 9, No. 2 (Summer 1997), pp. 51–64 Published by Frank Cass, London.</ref>

The Internet has created a new way for groups to spread their messages.<ref>{{cite news |author=Bibi van Ginkel |date=March 31, 2015 |title=Responding to Cyber Jihad: Towards an Effective Counter Narrative |url=https://icct.nl/publication/responding-to-cyber-jihad-towards-an-effective-counter-narrative/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916055232/https://icct.nl/publication/responding-to-cyber-jihad-towards-an-effective-counter-narrative/ |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |access-date=September 7, 2016 |publisher=The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague (ICCT)}}</ref> This has created a cycle of measures and counter measures by groups in support of and in opposition to terrorist movements. The United Nations has created its own online counterterrorism resource.<ref>{{cite web |title=Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee |url=https://www.un.org/sc/ctc/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611145715/http://www.un.org/sc/ctc/ |archive-date=June 11, 2010 |access-date=June 17, 2009}}</ref>

The mass media will, on occasion, censor organizations involved in terrorism (through self-restraint or regulation) to discourage further terrorism. This may encourage organizations to perform more extreme acts of terrorism to be shown in the mass media. Conversely [[James F. Pastor]] explains the significant relationship between terrorism and the media, and the underlying benefit each receives from the other:<ref>{{cite book |author=Pastor, James F. |title=Terrorism & Public Safety Policing: Implications of the Obama Presidency |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-4398-1580-9 |location=New York}}</ref>

{{blockquote
 | text =There is always a point at which the terrorist ceases to manipulate the media gestalt. A point at which the violence may well escalate, but beyond which the terrorist has become symptomatic of the media gestalt itself. Terrorism as we ordinarily understand it is innately media-related.
 | cite =Novelist [[William Gibson]], 2004<ref>[http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/blog/2004_10_01_archive.asp William Gibson's blog] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091118192753/http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/blog/2004_10_01_archive.asp |date=November 18, 2009 }}, October 31, 2004. Retrieved April 26, 2007.</ref>
 }}

Former [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister]] [[Margaret Thatcher]] famously spoke of the close connection between terrorism and the media, calling publicity 'the oxygen of terrorism'.<ref>{{cite web |title=Speech to American Bar Association {{!}} Margaret Thatcher Foundation |url=http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/106096 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009202343/http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/106096 |archive-date=October 9, 2015 |access-date=October 5, 2015 |website=www.margaretthatcher.org}}</ref>