Terrorism depends on mass media publicity to achieve its core goals

Evidence

Terrorists try to exert influence over targeted officials and nations through intimidation of the public and arousal of sympathy for their social and political causes. Without widespread publicity, terrorist acts can achieve neither of these outcomes. The mass media, especially television and the Internet, provide the best access to the international community because of their strong drawing power. Terrorists exploit the Internet as a major vehicle of social and moral justification for their causes and the violent means they employ to further them. They gain sympathy and support for their cause by presenting themselves as risking their lives for the welfare of a victimized constitu-ency whose legitimate grievances they disregard. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2258

Categorization

• ADDENDUM: Complements the theme of how communication/media shape perception and moral framing; connects to the moral disengagement machinery used to justify harm.
• XREF: connects to: Media publicity supplies the fuel that lets small jihadist cells threaten great powers — Scott Atran, The Devoted Actor: Unconditional…, 66