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Running head: CRIMINAL JUSTICE DISCUSSION

Criminal Justice Discussion
Student’s Name
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE DISCUSSION

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Criminal Justice Discussion
15a.
The media coverage of terrorist events is largely influenced by national perspectives. The
reporting of terrorist attacks is influenced by a nation’s cultural and historical characteristics that
differ based on linguistic or geographical particularities, conflicting value systems of political
leaders, national tradition of journalism, and religious differences (Gillman, 2009). Other factors
include socio-demographic factors, self-awareness, approaches, and enthusiasms of reporters.
BBC and the U.S. news outlets such as CNN differ in their representation and explanations of
terrorism.
The geopolitical explanation of terrorist incidents is significantly less prominent in BCC
reporting. BBC interprets terrorist incidents as felonious actions with conflict participants not
being transnational terrorist groups and national governments but single offenders and their
targets. BBC’ interpretative context is expressed majorly in the fact that the illustration of targets
is the most significant broadcasting aspect in terms of placement and length (BBC - Terrorism:
Language when Reporting Terrorism - Guidance in Full - Editorial Guidelines, 2019). This
interpretive framework is accompanied by frequent references to the different backgrounds and
faiths to which the targets belong. On various occasions, BBC show ethnic crowds or groups
mourning, and this is a representation that terrorist attacks affected a cosmopolitan civil society.
BBC is careful about possible prejudice in perpetrator identification because, throughout their
broadcast, they choose their words carefully (BBC - Terrorism: Language when Reporting
Terrorism - Guidance in Full - Editorial Guidelines, 2019). Additionally, BBC relies on
information provided official government agencies and do not assert own positions.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE DISCUSSION

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In contrast, U.S. media outlets such a CNN portray terrorist attacks as a manifestation of
geopolitical clashes in which Western leaders are antagonized with internationally structured
terror groups such as ISIS or Al Qaeda. The interpretive framework of these incidents is obvious
with the choice of words and pictures used (Eid, 2014). In most cases, these news outlets use
categorical and aggressive terms to explain the attacks and envision the attacks from Afghanistan
and Iraq wars such as moving tanks (Gillman, 2009). For instance, CNN mostly argues that some
nations in the Asian region have become targets of terrorism since they are American associates
(Eid, 2014). Additionally, the geopolitical outlining of the extremist incidents by U.S. media is
expressed in a particular demonstration of the perpetrators, targets, and the reactions to the
attacks. In its coverage, CNN demonstrates pity to the targets and illustrates them as blameless
citizens but this representation is less noticeable than in BBC. CNN’s reporting focuses on the
perpetrators more, extensively reporting the background and group affiliations of the suspected
extremists as an assumption about their intents. Lastly, CNN focuses on the ra...