Terrorism and Communication: A Critical Introduction / Edition 1

by Jonathan Matusitz

Overview

Based on the premise that terrorism is essentially a message, Terrorism and Communication: A Critical Introduction examines terrorism from a communication perspective—making it the first text to offer a complete picture of the role of communication in terrorist activity. Through the extensive examination of state-of-the-art research on terrorism as well as recent case studies and speech excerpts, communication and terrorism scholar Jonathan Matusitz explores the ways that terrorists communicate messages through actions and discourse. Using a multifaceted approach, he draws valuable insights from relevant disciplines, including mass communication, political communication, and visual communication, as he illustrates the key role that media outlets play in communicating terrorists' objectives and examines the role of global communication channels in both spreading and combating terrorism. This is an essential introduction to understanding what terrorism is, how it functions primarily through communication, how we talk about it, and how we prevent it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452240282
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	08/30/2012
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	520
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Dr. Jonathan Matusitz (Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, 2006) is currently an Associate Professor in the Nicholson School of Communication at the University of Central Florida (UCF). He studies globalization, culture, and terrorism. One of his particular emphases is the Islamist threat to America and the world. On top of having 85 academic publications and over 100 conference presentations, he taught at a N.A.T.O.-affiliated military base in Belgium in 2010. Originally from Belgium himself, he migrated to the United States in 2000. In 2012, he was honored with a prestigious teaching award by the College of Sciences at UCF.

Table of Contents

1. What Is Terrorism?
2. Terrorism as a Communication Process: Tactics
3. Terrorism as a Communication Process: The Media
4. Terrorism as a Communication Process: The Audience
5. Framing Terrorism
6. Terrorism as Social Construction of Reality
7. Stereotyping Terrorists
8. Interpreting Terrorism through Rhetoric
9. Euphemisms for Terrorism
10. Terrorism and Group Dynamics
11. Organizational Structure and Leadership in Terrorism
12. Diffusion of Innovations (Do I) and Terrorism
13. The Globalization of Terrorism
14. One-on-One with the Terrorist: Interpersonal Perspectives
15. One-on-One with the Terrorist: International Perspectives
16. Crisis Communication and Intelligence