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| Article name | Rethinking the Сommunication Theory: the Case of Modern Terroristic Threat |
| Authors | Greg Simons .. , gregmons@yahoo.com |
| Bibliographic description | Greg Simons. Rethinking the Сommunication Theory: the Case of Modern Terroristic Threat // Humanitarian Vector. Series History. Political Science. 2016. Vol. 11, No 4. P. 150–154. |
| Section | MASS MEDIA: THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE |
| UDK | 316.28:323.28 |
| DOI | |
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| Annotation | It is narratives that determine our perception of the reality within the specific environment which it resides. The central fallacy at the heart of the current narrative is that it employs a single scheme to view a complex world. This is clearly seen within the Global War On Terrorism that was launched in the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks. The ensuing battle for hearts and minds that has taken place since, between the Western world and Islamic-based extremism, has flooded the information space and especially social media. The appeal of Islam is considered to draw a steady stream of terrorist followers. However, now may be the point in time to reconsider such narratives. Information and how it is conveyed is critical to all societies. Stories are one way of depicting reality and of revealing what lies beneath the surface of events. Therefore, narratives are more concerned with meaning rather than pure facts, and so they indicate what is significant and important in our environment. Narratives not only narrate, they are used as a means to call a target audience to political action, they use the content based upon norm and value-based appeals. International actors being narrative creators mobilize information strategically, create new issues, persuade the audience, and gain leverage over powerful organizations and governments. Activists in networks try not only to influence policy outcomes, but to transform the nature of the debate. Non-state actors as an alternate source of information and ideas gain additional influence on their target audience. Credibility is supported by dramatic messages which are often emotional in nature, and these are key elements in the communication strategy. Failure to control or at least manage information flows can gradually result in negative impacts upon the war operational environment. It is time to recognize that public diplomacy which should play a decisive role in this kind of war of ideas is being defeated now. When examining the role and nature of how information is used within military operations, a significant difference is found between Western military forces and insurgent/terrorist forces. Western military forces tend to use information operations to support military operations, in order to legitimize them (increase belief in the political and military leadership). Insurgent and terrorist forces use military operations to support information operations, the intended outcome is to shape the particular perception of its opponents (military and civilian) and project a certain image of power. The intended effect is to reduce the public’s will in continuing the fight. Insurgent and terrorist groups have been adept at social media communication, which concerns not so much about dictating to an audience how to think, but more what to think about. ISIS messages revolve around three core concepts – religion, grievance and utopian vision. The grievances and utopian vision draw social media users. In the insurgent and terrorist narratives, the different rhetoric aspects play a critical role in the overall picture of the world. Logos is the logical appeal to the audience, even if the logic is false, it only needs to be believed. Pathos acts as an emotional primer for the audience to carry out physical acts that serve the political agenda of a group. Ethos is featured in the use of Islam and the Quran, which play the role of providing a façade of ethical justification for the narrative’s content. Terrorist forces use Islam as a means of legitimizing their political and armed struggle against the West. By adopting subsequent conflicts as a war against Islamic extremism, the West in fact runs the risk of entering the geopolitical trap of framing “clash of civilizations”. |
| Key words | information warfare, communication, narrative, terroristic threat, alternative sources of information. |
| Article information | |
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| Full article | Rethinking the Сommunication Theory: the Case of Modern Terroristic Threat |
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