Why does TV publicise terrorist Islamic messages?

Question

I won't publicise his name, but BBC News 24 & Sky News have since yesterday been broadcasting each hour the recorded message of a foreign Imam who is being sought for inciting terrorist attacks in the UK. His full sick message is being played in Arabic with written English subtitles & sometimes also with a verbal English translation.

I'd like to know how the news channels think this is of public benefit & WHY they broadcast it? These terrorist leaders don't need illegal websites or distribution networks anymore, because the BBC & Sky publicise them for free to the nation for all their followers to hear! Surely we need to impose strict laws about this to stop such messages being aired on UK TV? I feel so angry about it. The BBC didn't broadcast Nazi propaganda during WW2 so why do they publicise terrorist messages these days?

Answer 1

I fully share your anxiety in the matter and am sure many responsible critics have also felt that way.

The media may argue that the public have to know how the terrorist leaders provoke violence thru their followers / sympathizers.. But it serves to reach more innocent members of their community and likely to adversely influence and incite violent thoughts in them too,,

I find similar trends in India too where the TV channels telecast the movements of the police / military squads searching for bloody criminals... which makes many shrewd citizens doubt if the channels are playing into the hands of the terrorist sympathizers / abettors in the society.

It is difficult to imagine that the media are innocent. Simply irresponsible in the extreme.

Answer 2

The modern day media organisations have a thirst for telling EVERYONE, EVERYTHING they can just to get their viewing figures up. Frankly they're ****ing stupid because if they want to keep this country safe and to not let terrorists achive their sick, twisted goals,. then the media whould be the ones actively trying to STOP the broadcasting of it.
I have always said and FIRMLY believed that the media has a responsibilty to the population it broadcasts to, and have equally believed that terrorism should NOT get ANY airtime; besides, frankly I'm sick up to the eyeballs of hearing about crazy, twisted, demented, trigger-happy, tar-stained toothed, moronic, mad, f**ed-up terrorists hating the UK; if they hate the western world so much, why don't they f**k-off out of it?
The Media,.. so STUPID it almost defies logic!!

Answer 3

i dont think it is right to publicise on the news because it can cause alot of friction allover the world and they are giving certain amount of people to cause harm to other religion background when at the end of the day we are all the same underneath skin shouidnt matter what colour or religion we are all the same and should try to get along with eachother

Answer 4

Because it brings in ratings. Sometimes, they also use it as a reason to keep citizens prepared.

I do agree with you. After all, the terrorists want their messages displayed worldwide so people will fear them. By publicizing their threats, you are giving the terrorists the attention they so desperately want.

Answer 5

Fearmongering....

I'm beginning to wonder who actually benefits more from us being scared all the time like this, it's almost like the media is doing the terrorists job for them.

Answer 6

The public are entitled to know of the threats made against them so we can be vigilant.

Answer 7

To justify the war.

Answer 8

To scare people.

What do people do when they're scared? They act irrationally? What do people do when they're acting irrationally? Spend money.

Answer 9

its to do with fight or flight reaction
if we are frightened we follow the tough guy

Answer 10

its called scaremongering