Popular TV can shift public views on torture by linking it to patriotism.

Evidence

Jack Bauer some angst, it is always the patriotic thing to do.” In other words, 24, whether intended or not, has successfully linked torture to patriotism. … Even an Arab American defended 24 in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, stating, “Well, here’s the hard cold truth: When Islamic terrorists stop being a threat to America’s survival, viewers will lose interest in 24, because it will have lost its relevancy. Until such time, I will continue to watch 24—because, believe it or not, the idea that there are Jack Bauers out there in real life risking their lives to save ours does mean something to me… . Because terrorists and their supporters continue to hide amongst us in plain sight, we need Jack Bauer, now more than ever.” — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media, 295

Categorization

• SEED: The Jack Bauer effect — how a fictional TV character became a real policy citation — is a strong essay angle on fiction’s power to reshape public policy discourse.