[Toy Soldier]

(AKA should we avoid reporting terrorism?)

So, the goal of terrorism is to spread fear, panic, and to disrupt the comfort of everyday life. It is not to terrorise the people they are killing, but the others who will hear about it.

With that in mind, does it not seem likely that the effect of en masse front page reporting of terrorist attacks does little more than encourage further attacks? If global terrorist incidents were relegated to a couple of square inches back next to the sports, would this actively decrease the frequency of attacks?

Would a commitment to such even be possible with media culture as it is? Perhaps one of the biggest ironies is that these attacks, supposedly motivated by a hatred of shallow western ways, generate headlines that are used to great effect to sell a tonne of tabloid trash newspapers - one of the very shallowest aspects of our culture? Masses of people buying dailies with body parts strewn over the front page because OMGdramaz.

It just seems such a mess. Terrorism and sensationalism, they go hand in hand. Can it not just stop? Can those with the means not tackle the issue as it needs to be tackled - cold, calm calculation and intelligent strikes and campaigns - instead of having the entire western world flapping and clucking like a bunch of chickens in a henhouse that's been invaded by a fox?

This is a rhetorical question I suppose. I know that won't happen. Flapping and panicking and despair is inevitable and the cycle will continue.

Still, I'm interested to hear others thoughts on this. Do any of you get an overwhelming urge to vomit profusely all over the tabloid stands like I do?

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

(AKA should we avoid reporting terrorism?)

So, the goal of terrorism is to spread fear, panic, and to disrupt the comfort of everyday life. It is not to terrorise the people they are killing, but the others who will hear about it.

With that in mind, does it not seem likely that the effect of en masse front page reporting of terrorist attacks does little more than encourage further attacks? If global terrorist incidents were relegated to a couple of square inches back next to the sports, would this actively decrease the frequency of attacks?
Would a commitment to such even be possible with media culture as it is? Perhaps one of the biggest ironies is that these attacks, supposedly motivated by a hatred of shallow western ways, generate headlines that are used to great effect to sell a tonne of tabloid trash newspapers - one of the very shallowest aspects of our culture? Masses of people buying dailies with body parts strewn over the front page because OMGdramaz.

It just seems such a mess. Terrorism and sensationalism, they go hand in hand. Can it not just stop? Can those with the means not tackle the issue as it needs to be tackled - cold, calm calculation and intelligent strikes and campaigns - instead of having the entire western world flapping and clucking like a bunch of chickens in a henhouse that's been invaded by a fox?

This is a rhetorical question I suppose. I know that won't happen. Flapping and panicking and despair is inevitable and the cycle will continue.

Still, I'm interested to hear others thoughts on this. Do any of you get an overwhelming urge to vomit profusely all over the tabloid stands like I do?

...hmmm, this has always been my thought process...don't feed the attention with the very thing it wants ..but then, as you say it would never happen..but if it were to..?...would that just make their acts more frequent in their desperation for that attention..?..and their frustration etc...'we must do something worse' type thought process..?....hmmmmm....


...it's Saturday morning TS and much too early for your threads.....did we not all agree to an 11am start for your thoughts at weekends..?..

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...hmmm, this has always been my thought process...don't feed the attention with the very thing it wants ..but then, as you say it would never happen..but if it were to..?...would that just make their acts more frequent in their desperation for that attention..?..and their frustration etc...'we must do something worse' type thought process..?....hmmmmm....

I did ponder that actually, would it be like ignoring a destructive child, and they'd just step it up until they got noticed? But then, one would imagine they're already planning the biggest strikes they can "get away with" (plan and execute without being sniffed out). I doubt they're doing the bare minimum or holding back, so there would really be no way to provoke them into bigger attacks,and one might hope it would result in fewer people being inspired to form "lone wolf" cells for fame / glory.

It also seems to have a sort of chain reaction effect when one attack is reported. You get a succession of attacks reported over days / weeks then things go relatively quiet again. Makes me wonder if one attacks being reported has a sort of "Oh we better do ours now!" effect on other cells... Either just inspiring them, or because they anticipate a "crackdown" in the aftermath.

...it's Saturday morning TS and much too early for your threads.....did we not all agree to an 11am start for your thoughts at weekends..?..

Some of us have 8am starts on a Saturday! Hmph. Don't worry though, I've got 2 weeks off after today AND no school run... You'll not see me before 11 any day of the week

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

I did ponder that actually, would it be like ignoring a destructive child, and they'd just step it up until they got noticed? But then, one would imagine they're already planning the biggest strikes they can "get away with" (plan and execute without being sniffed out). I doubt they're doing the bare minimum or holding back, so there would really be no way to provoke them into bigger attacks,and one might hope it would result in fewer people being inspired to form "lone wolf" cells for fame / glory.

It also seems to have a sort of chain reaction effect when one attack is reported. You get a succession of attacks reported over days / weeks then things go relatively quiet again. Makes me wonder if one attacks being reported has a sort of "Oh we better do ours now!" effect on other cells... Either just inspiring them, or because they anticipate a "crackdown" in the aftermath.



Some of us have 8am starts on a Saturday! Hmph. Don't worry though, I've got 2 weeks off after today AND no school run... You'll not see me before 11 any day of the week

...you have your little TS very well trained because even on the non school run days, it was often still a 5am beginning with jumps and giggles on the bed..even though I told them that...'the sleep fairy wants you to play quietly in your room until you hear the 'daytime kettle being boiled in the kitchen..'....ughhh, they were such badly behaved children...so yeah lovely, thoughtful little TS and enjoy your next two week 11am starts....



...*skips away happily that we have a bit of peace and quiet in the morning for a few weeks..*.......

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...you have your little TS very well trained because even on the non school run days, it was often still a 5am beginning with jumps and giggles on the bed..even though I told them that...'the sleep fairy wants you to play quietly in your room until you hear the 'daytime kettle being boiled in the kitchen..'....ughhh, they were such badly behaved children...so yeah lovely, thoughtful little TS and enjoy your next two week 11am starts....



...*skips away happily that we have a bit of peace and quiet in the morning for a few weeks..*.......

Well the 5 year olds bed time tends to "slip" in the holidays so she's 9 or 10 until 9 or 10 but she gets up and makes her own breakfast and everything a lot of the time. The 2 year old has weird sleep patterns and occasionally needs dragged out of her pit at noon! But then, she sometimes won't go to sleep until 11... Or goes at 7 and wakes up for a couple of hours for a 2am chatter... Haha.

[arista]

"sensationalism,"

Bollocks

Its the news today

[smudgie]

Hard one to answer.
On the one hand it does give the terrorists what they want, but then on the other hand it warns us of the danger and keeps us informed.
People need to know where not to go on holiday for example.
We need to know of the attack in France to let us know how close to home it all is.
We need to know of the suicide killings in the Mosque so that we are aware that Muslims are killing Muslims.
I know my post is a bit simple for such a big issue, but I am at a loss to know what can be done.

[arista]

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by arista

"sensationalism,"

Bollocks

Its the news today

It's sensationalised in the tabloids; look at the differences between how they report it and how it's reported elsewhere. They make it into a boom-crash-pow Hollywood blockbuster, make it seem exciting (or "outrageous"), to entice people into buying their paper. It's mercenary and quite disgusting, if you think about it. Not that these killings shouldn't cause outrage, just that these money-making entities exploiting it no matter the cost is quite horrendous.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by smudgie

Hard one to answer.
On the one hand it does give the terrorists what they want, but then on the other hand it warns us of the danger and keeps us informed.
People need to know where not to go on holiday for example.
We need to know of the attack in France to let us know how close to home it all is.
We need to know of the suicide killings in the Mosque so that we are aware that Muslims are killing Muslims.
I know my post is a bit simple for such a big issue, but I am at a loss to know what can be done.

I sort of agree about knowing which countries are a risk to travel to... And highlighting the fact that ISIS target Muslims as much as (more than, I think) non Muslims in order to steer away from the "race war" aspect.

Not sure about needing to know how close to home it is, though. That doesn't decrease risk for anyone, and the "on your doorstep" thing really only serves to keep people in a state of fear, which again is of course the aim or terrorism. The deaths are tragic but incidental; their main goal is to have as many people living in a state of fear and paranoia as they can.

[bitontheslide]

It is sensationalised reporting and lacks any form of perspective. I do however agree that people need to be aware of the dangerous places in the world. I visited Tunisia a number of years ago before the uprisings. I felt it was a dangerous place even then, there was an aggressive undertone towards foreigners. When I returned from my trip, I found out that a woman had been subjected to a multiple rape by hotel staff while I was there (and this was a 5 star hotel).

[arista]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

It's sensationalised in the tabloids; look at the differences between how they report it and how it's reported elsewhere. They make it into a boom-crash-pow Hollywood blockbuster, make it seem exciting (or "outrageous"), to entice people into buying their paper. It's mercenary and quite disgusting, if you think about it. Not that these killings shouldn't cause outrage, just that these money-making entities exploiting it no matter the cost is quite horrendous.

But this how it works in the UK
All the papers are on this tragic Terrorist
Machine Gun Killers on a beach

[JoshBB]

People do have a right to know what's going on but I see your point as well, terrorists want to spread fear and by covering them as dangerous and scary we are doing nothing more than helping them..

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by arista

But this how it works in the UK
All the papers are on this tragic Terrorist
Machine Gun Killers on a beach

Status Quo's #1 fan for life, eh arista.

Just because it's "the way it works" or "the way it is" doesn't mean it's the right way or the way it should be. So many things about "the way things are" are complete and utter ****.

[JoshBB]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Status Quo's #1 fan for life, eh arista.

Just because it's "the way it works" or "the way it is" doesn't mean it's the right way or the way it should be. So many things about "the way things are" are complete and utter ****.

This x 100000000

You should never just say 'that's the way things are' to things that are wrong.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Status Quo's #1 fan for life, eh arista.

Just because it's "the way it works" or "the way it is" doesn't mean it's the right way or the way it should be. So many things about "the way things are" are complete and utter ****.

On this section
we have no time for Hippies



Life In The Fast Lane

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by arista

On this section
we have no time for Hippies



Life In The Fast Lane

I don't think not accepting things the way they are qualifies me as a "hippy", arista. If you think I'm all about "love and peace", then you really haven't been paying attention .

[arista]

But So Many were booked for Holidays in Tunisia
so all news will be about that.

First Choice and Thompson
have halted all flights for Next Week.