Hostage media coverage

[Doofay]

Right, one thing i don't get is why the media cover these hostage crisis situations so much. Clearly the best way to stop people from doing these things is not to give them as much attention worldwide as possible? But then again, they make good stories, so the papers would rather have their extra bit of cash in their proverbial pocket i suppose. Theres always word of mouth, but it is nowhere near as effective a medium as the mass media. Or am i rambling on about nothing?

[relentless]

Originally posted by Doofay
Clearly the best way to stop people from doing these things is not to give them as much attention worldwide as possible?

Totally agree with you there, I think that because the hostage takers know they can get a load of media coverage it makes it all the more appealing for them.

[morrocan roll]

Originally posted by relentless
Totally agree with you there, I think that because the hostage takers know they can get a load of media coverage it makes it all the more appealing for them. wouldn't be much point without it.
doofies point yeah.

[Senor Miguel]

simple, its all part of the strategy to convince the public the world is a dangerous scary place we need protecting from.......as someone once said, he who surrenders freedom for security deserves neither.

[Bri-namite]

These kidnappers aren't stupid, they know that holding a knife to someone's head and forcing them to say how Tony Blair doesn't care about me is gonna spark a mass reaction amonst the UK media.

And inevitably we get a load of simpletons being swayed into thinking Blair is oh such a bad person, purely on the basis of the vicious propaganda that the terrorists want you to see.

As for the media, once you start publicising things like that it just snowballs until it's out of control. And when the worst comes to the worst, the families of these people have to grieve infront of a million flashing cameras, which must make things about a thousand times harder.

[bluestatesman]

The Arab outlets select which ones they want to cover. If they think Has-Been Laden or some other thug can scare the West...they cover the beheadings or ignorant hate rants. But like when the woman who lived in Iraq for years and worked at CARE was murdered and her body mutilated...they didn't cover that. They didn't cover it because true Muslims are against the radicals. But they covered allegations that a US soldier shot a wounded thug. Turns out, now there's video of a thug acting wounded and then shooting at Americans. They didn't play the video of a thug holding up a white flag and trying to pull out a gun at our soldiers either. Al Jazera is a terrorist organization. I wasn't even for the freak'n war. but I'd love to see Al Jazera and company bombed.

[MrG]

al-jazera in varying instances and offices have been bombed a number of times, pity the bastards keep coming back

[Doofay]

Originally posted by MrG
al-jazera in varying instances and offices have been bombed a number of times, pity the bastards keep coming back

How do you know that?