The dramatic societal changes such as globalisation and information revolution transformed terrorism into a global challenge at the turn of the millennium. Today’s widespread global terrorism is a product of informational age because terror is a communication act, a means to transmit messages to the authorities. Terrorists use the media as a retransmitter and the society as a resonator. The potential of mass self-communication gives them the possibility to broadcast a large amount of data that can be also widely republished by the traditional media. Content analyses of the media show that journalists are responsible for provoking panic, victimization and collective stress within the community (Altheide, 2002, 2009). That is why media relations are one of the most important actions in anti-terrorist policy. The presentation shows multidisciplinary analysis of terrorism in terms of social control and crisis followed by recommendations for governmental communication strategies. Terrorism represents an alternative way of social control ‘from below’ through fear, conflict and victimization of the society. The governments should increase their own informal ways of social control to oppose manipulations of any kind, including terrorism. That can be done by means of communication. Most crisis researches classify terrorism as a crisis of malevolence and a conflict-type crisis. Crisis management expert Paul Shrivastava (2005) qualifies terrorism crisis as a particular crisis type that needs special research and response strategies, including crisis communication and media relations. The presentation gives recommendations for Antiterrorist Governmental Media Policy used in practice by the Information Policy Department of the Presidential Administration of Russia.

1. 1
Governmental Crisis
Communication and
Media Relations under
Terrorist Threat
Elena Gryzunova
Ph.D. Student,
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-
University), Russia.
Paper presented on the 10th Annual International Conference
on Communication and Mass Media
14 May 2012, Athens, Greece
© Elena Gryzunova, 2012
Intellectual property. No part can be reproduced without a reference to the
author

2. 2
Terrorism is violence that
consists in itself a threat of
more violence designed to
cause social disruption,
panic and victimization
within the community for
the purpose of political
change.

3. 3
Characteristics of
Modern Terrorism
Widespread Civil targets,
in the mass
cyberspace victimization
Religious
motivation,
International use of
or global distorted
Islamic
terms

4. 4
Terrorism: Social
Paradigms
COMMUNICATION
ACT
SOCIAL CONTROL
AND DISRUPTION
CRISIS

5. 5
Terror as a communication act.
“Terrorism is aimed at the people watching,
not at the actual victims. Terrorism is
theater”. (Brian M. Jenkins, 1974) THE MASS
MEDIA
TARGET AUDIENCE:
The authorities
KEY AUDIENCES:
• The sympathizing
group:
• 1 subgroup: supports the
aims, not the methods
• 2 subgroup: supports Terror act is an
both the aims and the ideal media
methods product
• The victimized group
• International
institutions widely
broadcasted

6. 6
Communication Circle of
Terrorism
Terrorists committing
a terror act = sending
a message
The authorities’ The media
concession to broadcasting the
terrorists = getting the news about the
message and giving terror act =
feedback broadcasting the
message
The key audiences
pressuring on the The key audiences
authorities = discussing the news
transmitting the about the terror
message act = decoding the
message

7. Antiterrorist Governmental 7
Media loyal terrorism-reporting press pool.
Forming a
Policy
Development of consensus communicational strategies.
Education, not victimization. Alert, not panic.
Joint media/government simulation trainings.
Designation of a spokesperson responsible for
governmental antiterrorist communication.
Creation of a special media center.
Being premium newsmaker omnipresent in the news field.
Joint media/ government control of interpretations and of
verbal designations.
Restrictions for: 1) live and unedited interviews with
terrorists, 2) secret details of counter-terror and hostage-
release operations, 3) intimidating details.
Soft control by means of exclusive information.
Partnership and two-way communication: using the media
as the source of information.

8. 8
Levels of Social Disruption and its Prevention
LEVEL TERRORISM GOVERNMENT
•distrust to the authorities •forming patriotism, civil
Individual •political extremism consciousness and confidence
•political apathy •image making
as a citizen •wish to change the state •news making and response to
system or leave the country disinformation
mass fear, inadequate •informing of terror
Individual perception of reality, panic, manipulative mechanisms
as a apathy, spontaneous •psychological rehabilitation
aggression •general preventive measures:
personality ethical and educational
hostility, conflicts, violence, •disclaiming terrorists’ support
Groups and genocide, separatism of any social group
group •general preventive measures:
inter-group dialogue and
behavior consolidative ideology
total demolition of a social complex measures on all the
Society structure: revolutions, civil previous levels
wars
itself

9. 9
Terrorism as a Crisis:
the classification variations
A form of crisis of malevolence (Lerbinger;
Coombs)
A conflict crisis (Quarantelli) or a mixed
conflict-consensus crisis (Peek, Sutton)
Political and social crisis (Morozova et al.)
Terrorism crisis as a special type
(Shrivastava). Terrorism crises “evolve end
emerge as economic, social and political processes
over time"; provoke both physical and social
disruptions; require the design and development of
special systems for terrorism crisis communications.

10. 10
The Crisis Paradigm
Crisis is an unpredictable perceived
disruption of a social unit which
threatens its integrity, reputation or
survival, challenges the public’s sense
of safety, values or appropriateness
and requires immediate action under
the circumstances of uncertainty,
urgency and increased attention.

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A crisis can have either an objective or a
subjective reason. It can be based on a real event
as well as on a rumor or a willful
disinformation. The objective and subjective
sides are interconnected so the crisis extends on
both. Objective disruptions of the
social structure (require
crisis management)
Subjective
collective
perceptions
(require crisis
communication)

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1. Precrisis Stage
1) Crisis prevention:
- elimination of the social disruption threats
- mass education against terrorist manipulation
- terrorism risk communication
2) Crisis Preparation:
- forming a crisis team and an inter-agency
communication system
- developing a crisis communication plan
- creating draft communication strategies and
comments
- choosing and training a spokesperson
- fostering alliances with other concerned
organizations, the media and experts
- development of consensus recommendations for
communicational strategies with the loyal media,
experts and other concerned organizations
- trainings with the media, concerned organizations
and the community 2.Crisis Event Stage
3. Postcrisis Stage - responding quickly, being first, right and credible
- setting up the coordination center, coordination of the
- data collection and analysis of the crisis response information flows, speaking with one voice
- follow-up communications: crisis response measures - designating crisis media center, cooperating with the
report, investigation results media
- promotion of the activities and capabilities of the - establishing a hotline to communicate directly to the
agency victims and other community members
- modifying the crisis communication plan - committing to continued communication to the media
- launching a public education campaign in mass media and the public, dominating in the news field
to reduce creeping post-crisis effects and resist terrorist - explaining threats, risks and giving recommendations
manipulation - monitoring the information flows, giving immediate
feedback, correcting disinformation

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Thank you for your attention!
Contact information:
Elena Gryzunova
Moscow, Russia
Moscow State Institute of International
Relations
(MGIMO-University)
+7-916-607-2770
+7-926-170-7334
Mail2.elena@mail.ru