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Fear of terrorism: media exposure and subjective fear of attack

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  • Harley Williamson
  • Suzanna Fay
  • Toby Miles-Johnson

Abstract

In many Western countries, citizen knowledge of terrorist events is intrinsically shaped by the style of broadcasted messages published by the media. Media discourses regarding terrorist acts raise questions about how such rhetoric elicits fear in people who typically experience such events through news reports. However, we do not fully understand the impact of the media on perceptions of terrorism as clearly as we understand the relationship between the media and fear of crime. This study examines how media sources accessed actively (e.g. through newspapers; Internet) or passively (e.g. through television; radio) influence knowledge and fear of terrorism. We find receiving information about terrorism from multiple media sources increases fear of terrorism, but media sources accessed passively are not as influential as media sources accessed more actively. These results highlight how media consumption from various sources may affect one’s fear of terrorism, and further illustrates how the role of perceived knowledge may exacerbate or mitigate fear. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Harley Williamson & Suzanna Fay & Toby Miles-Johnson, 2019. "Fear of terrorism: media exposure and subjective fear of attack," Global Crime, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 1-25, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:fglcxx:v:20:y:2019:i:1:p:1-25
    DOI: 10.1080/17440572.2019.1569519
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    Cited by:

    1. Kolotylo-Kulkarni, Malgorzata & Marakas, George M. & Xia, Weidong, 2024. "Understanding protective behavior and vaccination adoption among US individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic: A four-wave longitudinal study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    2. Ângela Leite & Ana Ramires & Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis & Hélder Fernando Pedrosa e Sousa, 2019. "Who Is Concerned about Terrorist Attacks? A Religious Profile," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-16, November.

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