Media economics discourage the complex reporting that would undermine religious explanations of terror

Evidence

In the case of the media, it is very likely that many of its members themselves understand the violence of events such as the attacks of 9/11 in terms of religious ideology, but there are also many economic and structural factors in the way in which news is reported that hinder more complicated explanations. There is no doubt that in the American media market, violence is considered newsworthy and attracts an audience that turns to the media for explanations of it. Islam, or the history of militant Muslim organizations, such as al-Qaeda, or the role of the United States in militarizing Afghanistan during its struggle against Soviet occupation in the 1980s are all complex topics requiring resources, expertise, and money to explore properly, and they are not topics that are likely to attract large audiences. Under these circumstances, the media has little incentive to ask whether or not Islam really explains “Muslim terrorism.” — Carl W. Ernst, Islamophobia in America_ The Anatomy of…, 263

Categorization

• XREF: Structural/economic incentive analysis echoes the reader’s earlier material on communication technology shaping attention and explanation.