Free Custom «The Relationship Between Technology, Terrorism and Media» Essay Paper

Preparatory to analyzing the connections of these three aspects, it is important to find out what these terminologies mean. First, technology derives from the word ‘technologia’, which means craft or skill. It refers to the creation and improvement of tools and machines. This word is connected with an aim of solving problems and achieving some specified goals. Technology possesses immense impacts on both humans and animal activities, especially their capability and ease of adapting to their natural surroundings (Leah 2006, p. 141).

On the other hand, media possesses several definitions. It may refer to the items that an artist uses to produce work. However, in this context, it simply refers to communication. Thus, it constitutes all the instruments needed to keep and transfer data to its relevant recipients. It includes social media, advertising media and mass media, among others.

Finally, terrorism refers to the application of violent acts in the event of coercion. This includes an act that tends to arouse immense fear amongst the target victims. In addition, terror attacks normally occur in fulfillment of certain political, religious or ideological goals (Robert 2010, p. 22). Moreover, the group that gets largely affected by these terror attacks includes the unsuspecting civilians. This denotes an unlawful act that may lead to massive deaths and destruction.

 

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These three common and fundamental aspects possess several common characteristics. Thus, it occurs crucial to analyze the linkage between them. First, it necessary to note that there is a clear link between these aspects. For instance, the technological advancements that occur in the media improve its level of delivering crucial information to the public (Krishnamurthy 2012, p. 68). On the other hand, a well-developed media helps in conveying information on terror attests at the right time. Thus, this gives a generalized correlation between these three aspects.

It is essential to investigate these relationships in a more specific and elaborate manner. To the effect, the first most important symbiosis under consideration ia the one between terrorism and the media. Over the recent years, a mutual attachment between the media and terrorism occurred. The media depends on terrorism and vice versa. In this relationship, both parties tend to encounter immense benefits. Before any terror attack takes place, it is clear that there is an indirect liaising between these two groups (Jacob 2008, p.3). These connections involve negotiations that will allow terrorists to carry out their operations more effectively. In addition, the media helps terrorists collect the relevant data and provide enough time to recruit new militia group members. All this information gets conveyed to the public through the media. Terrorists also possess the capability of raising money and putting relevant resources needed for their activities (Graeme 2010, p.175).

Therefore, the media is as an important tool for terrorists since all the activities of terrorists are aired by media instruments. This is instrumental to terrorists since they manage to obtain their fame through the public display of their activities. In addition, these groups also gain the respect that they seek from a certain group. The group may include the government or a certain religious group. The fame that the media generates for terrorists rises to international scale since the media operates from that point of view. Moreover, whenever terror attacks occur, the information spreads like bush fire to different parts of the world. The transmissions carried out entirely by the media prove the importance of the media to terrorists (Melvyn 1990).

As much as the media is beneficial to terrorists, information concerning terror attacks also occurs crucial to the growth and development of the media. Most people would like to possess the full information in the event of a terror attack (Martin 2003, p. 12). Thus, this high level of eagerness generated by such activities drives the people to consult the media in order to retrieve the full information. In such a manner, the media earns immense popularity and fame, too. The number of viewers or audiences rises whenever terrorists perform an attack. The public gets fully involved since numerous lives and properties are destroyed by such vicious acts. In the process, the instrumentality and existence if the media is enhanced as it helps in conveying such crucial information (Eugenia 2011, p. 6).

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Terrorism requires adequate and reliable airing since the audiences of this information need the details in full. Thus, all the occurrences appear in details through the media. The fame that gets generated by the media helps in its improvement and further existence for the public would require the information as it occurs. Therefore, it is obvious that this mutual relationship is beneficial for both groups. While the terrorists achieve their fame and respect, the media also achieves fame and an increased number of viewers (Andrew 2006, p. 7).

Apart from everything else, this symbiosis entails dangerous outcomes to the public. However, steps to kill this union between the media and terrorism are taken. The question is, once this vicious yet mutual relationship dies, how the public will be informed in case a terror attack happens. In addition, how will people take caution without the prior knowledge of a terror activity? Hence, despite the fact that this relationship is dangerous, it still possesses immense benefits to the public.

The next relationship is that between terrorism and technology. In recent decades, the war against terrorism has been in the height. More nations globally detest these activities and possess laid down strategies to fight against terrorism. Moreover, the level of channelizing of information pertaining to terror attacks has improved. For instance, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States of America, the levels of security increased in the state. However, despite all these attempts to curb terrorism, the activity becomes more concentrated. The main reason behind this includes the technological advancement that takes place in the recent decades. Terrorists now possess better tools to perform their activities. Their level of carrying out these activities has immensely improved. It occurs that preventing an attack today is more difficult than in the past decades. The weapons encountered a serious upgrading and improvement. Thus, this helps terrorists in accomplishing their missions with much ease. To this effect, controlling and curbing of these terror activities has proven to be a difficult task for most nations (Alan 1997, p.210).

In the 1980s and 1990s, terror attacks had different motives as compared to the todays ones. Some of the reasons that led to the attacks in the past included political agendas like nationalist-separatists motives. However, with the growth of time and technology, the level of terrorist attacks also grew equally. In addition, the grounds for these attacks also increased. Currently, some of the motives behind the numerous terror attacks include religious fanatics, white supremacist and environmental ultra-radicalism. Most of the attacks are aimed at gaining attention to their reasons. Some of these reasons include hatred. For instance, Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida indicated such a motive. His immense contempt for the western world, specifically the United States of America, drove him to carry out massive attacks against this nation in order to “punish” its people. Terrorists need to make sure that their activity ensues in a number of victims. That is why they perform the attacks using bombs in congested areas such as buses or banks.

Terrorist attacks usually require large sums of money as well as resources in order to be effected in the best way. Therefore, terrorists establish legal sources of funds and connectivity that allows them to fulfill their financial needs. For instance, they carry out criminal activities that enable them to finance these terror attacks. Next, they possess certain legal businesses and non-governmental organizations that help in raising enough money for their activities.

The rapidly growing technology also provides them with the necessary connections in their efforts to raise funds for their actions. For instance, the improvement in communication system provided them with connectivity. Some of these communication tools include the satellite phones and the Internet. This vast communication network helps them in gathering relevant data and funds. In addition, it plays a vital role in conveying data and propaganda to the necessary recipients. These recipients may include their targets or partners in different parts of the world. Furthermore, the connectivity allows them to support their numerous terror activities.

Terrorists prefer the use of guns and other conventional weapons. However, with the recent technological advancements, these attacks happened by the use of nuclear weapons. These weapons of mass destruction (WMD) occurred due to terrorists’ intention to perform mass murders. A good example of an advanced attack weapon includes the famed Aum Shinrikyo gas attack. This was used in an attack on the Tokyo subway, in 1995. Apart from the nuclear weapons, more biological and chemical weapons of massive destruction have been invented. Hence, nations may encounter future occurrences of WMD attacks.

Another mutual and undisputed relationship exists between media and technology. The technological advancement that occurred in the media recently, owes to the effectiveness of the media. The media depends largely on technology in order to grow and function well. When we link terrorism, technology and the media, a clear relationship reveals. The improvement in the media’s ability to convey data to its audience is directly connected with the improvement in the technology. Moreover, to transfer terrorist attack information to different parts of the world, there has to be an effective way to do so. Therefore, when the media services get advanced, the relevant terrorist news is well conveyed to the eagerly awaiting public. In this connection, the media benefits by earning its fame and popularity. In addition, its instrumentality gets felt and this enhances its existence and further chances of improving. The media also increases its sales and financial stability.

Of all these relationships, a more pronounces one is the one between the media and terrorism. Terrorists use the media to legitimize their actions, as well as inform the world of their supposed intentions of attack. They work through the media with an aim of developing fear amongst people. In addition, they use the media to gain their desired fame and respect from their opponents. The media also helps them to inform friends and family of their existence and purpose or their intended actions. Moreover, the terrorists manage to make their supremacy clear to their opponents. This step helps them achieve their power and supremacy without any detest from their opponents. Therefore, it becomes clear that the media not only assists in conveying information about terrorist attacks.

The relationship between terrorism and technology poses a larger threat to people. In particular, the invention of new and improved weapons brings about these threats. For instance, nowadays, it is difficult to prevent terrorist attacks since the attackers possess improved weapons. Whereas in the past, they restricted themselves to conventional weapons and guns. Currently, there are nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. They are grouped as weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The world foresees a threat of more massive attacks using such weapons. While the missions behind such attacks remain clear, most lies and property get lost through the same attacks.

Super-power nations, such as the United States of America, still encounter threats of attacks using these weapons of mass destruction. The contempt that exists between the Arabs and this state proves this. Thus, with the extensive indulgence of the media in this matter, it is clear that future MDW attacks in the US are possible.

The inevitable correlation of these three aspects will continue to exist since the technology still exists in an extensive state of advancing. This obvious probability means that other areas, such as the media, will also eventually improve. To that effect, conveying crucial information on fundamental issues encounters improvement. Particularly, all the information that pertains to terrorism activities gets conveyed more easily and flexibly. Thus, the entire world can know about attacks that took place in the recent past, or that which are yet to come. In the event of conveying such vital information to the public, the media gains a larger audience. Therefore, it becomes more famous and its existence is enhanced. Moreover, this provides the media with a large capability of improving its services since in the process of delivering information, it increases its sales.

With these numerous advancements in the technology, the future situation of the world may become extreme in both negative and positive ways. Thus, different governments should formulate policies that will help control the severity of these future developments. In addition, the media should review its mutual relationship with terrorism since it presents a dangerous symbiosis.