TEMPERING THE FEAR RESPONSE: A PATH TO ENDING THE WAR ON TERRORISM
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Authors
Heron, Marlon
Subjects
fear
fear management
fear mitigation
fear amplification
fear de-amplification
fear reaction
media
terror
terrorism
terrorist
war on terror
Global War on Terror
worry
depression
insomnia
media
anthrax
sniper
psychology
fear management
fear mitigation
fear amplification
fear de-amplification
fear reaction
media
terror
terrorism
terrorist
war on terror
Global War on Terror
worry
depression
insomnia
media
anthrax
sniper
psychology
Advisors
Peters, Lynda A.
McGuire, Mollie R.
Date of Issue
2024-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
There is much to fear in this world. This thesis aims to shift the focus from terrorism to its core—fear—and explores strategies for hastening recovery by analyzing public fear responses to past attacks. Terrorist attacks do not just affect victims; media content that amplifies fear, while profitable, serves terrorist goals and can have long-lasting psychological effects on the public, hindering post-attack recovery. Using the qualitative method, this study examined case studies of two terrorist attacks, then comparatively analyzed characteristics, attack styles, and reactions from the authorities, media, and the public. This thesis finds that novel attacks, such as 9/11, anthrax, or the DC sniper, can be particularly effective in perplexing authorities and attracting media attention. Additionally, this research shows that fear amplifying or de-amplifying media content can remain as a consistent theme in the media and significantly affect recovery time. Further findings indicate that media-borne fear narratives and constant exposure to fear-amplifying content can lead to worry, depression, or insomnia and postpone recovery to pre-incident norms. This thesis ultimately concludes that a focused partnership between academia, the authorities, and the media may mitigate public fears and accelerate recovery from terrorist incidents.
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Thesis
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Distribution Statement
Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.