Epistemological potential of media-philosophical and socio-communicative theories of terrorism: challenges to humanitarian security
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21847/2411-3093.2025.7411Keywords:
terrorism, media philosophy, epistemology, humanitarian security, media construction, theatre of terror, media discourse, public сonsciousnessAbstract
The article presents a theoretical and epistemological analysis of media-philosophical and socio-communicative theories of terrorism developed by Wolfgang Frindte, Gabriel Weimann, and Brigitte Nacos, with the aim of revealing the mechanisms of media construction of terrorism as a global threat and the role of mass media in shaping public perception of this phenomenon in the context of humanitarian security challenges. It is demonstrated that in the contemporary globalized world terrorism acquires new mediatized forms, forming symbiotic relationships with mass media that amplify the effects of intimidation, propaganda, and the construction of reality through the visualization of violence, repetition of messages, and symbolic codes of fear.
In particular, W. Frindte’s theory substantiates the interaction between media constructions (Medien-Frames) and individual interpretations (Individual-Frames), in which the media, through dramatization, emotionalization, and framing, shape the perception of terrorism as an inevitable danger, creating illusory correlations (for example, associating Muslims with terrorism) and a self-reinforcing cycle that legitimizes restrictions on democratic freedoms. G. Weimann’s “theatre of terror” theory demonstrates how terrorist acts are planned as symbolic performances designed to maximize media attention, employing communication technologies for propaganda, psychological warfare, and cyberterrorism, thereby generating dilemmas for the media and posing threats to liberal values. B. Nacos’s theory of “mass-mediated terrorism” emphasizes that without media coverage terrorism loses its symbolic power, while the media become a key element in the dissemination of fear, recruitment, propaganda, and the legitimization of actions, as exemplified by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The theories demonstrate that contemporary terrorism functions as a communicative strategy dependent on media influence, with its “effectiveness” measured by informational resonance rather than by the scale of physical violence. It is also established that the media not only transmit information but actively construct images of threat through spectacle, dramatization, and staging, thereby intensifying public fear and challenges to humanitarian security.
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References
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