Mitigating the Impact of Media Reporting of Terrorism: Syrian and Iraqi Citizen Journalists Versus the Islamic State

The latest publication in the Strategic Communication project, this paper details the role of citizen journalists reporting on Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. With primary source research and interviews with media, the author examines the challenges reporters in these areas face.

This report is part of a wider project, led by the International Centre for Counter- Terrorism (ICCT) – the Hague, and funded by the EU Devco on “Mitigating the Impact of Media Reporting of Terrorism”. This project aims to produce evidence-based guidance and capacity building outputs based on original, context-sensitive research into the risks and opportunities in media reporting of terrorism and terrorist incidents. The role of media reporting on terrorism has been under investigated and is an underutilised dimension of a holistic counter-terrorism strategy. How the media reports on terrorism has the potential to impact counter-terrorism (CT) perspective positively or negatively.