Full Description
Starting in 2001, much of the world media used the image of Osama bin Laden as a shorthand for terrorism. Bin Laden himself considered media manipulation on a par with military, political, and ideological tools, and intentionally used interviews, taped speeches, and distributed statements to further al-Qaida's ends.
In Covering Bin Laden, editors Susan Jeffords and Fahed Yahya Al-Sumait collect perspectives from global scholars exploring a startling premise: that media depictions of Bin Laden not only diverge but often contradict each other, depending on the media provider and format, the place in which the depiction is presented, and the viewer's political and cultural background. The contributors analyze the representations of the many Bin Ladens, ranging from Al Jazeera broadcasts to video games. They examine the media's dominant role in shaping our understanding of terrorists and why/how they should be feared, and they engage with the ways the mosaic of Bin Laden images and narratives have influenced policies and actions around the world.
Contributors include Fahed Al-Sumait, Saranaz Barforoush, Aditi Bhatia, Purnima Bose, Ryan Croken, Simon Ferrari, Andrew Hill, Richard Jackson, Susan Jeffords, Joanna Margueritte-Giecewicz, Noha Mellor, Susan Moeller, Brigitte Nacos, Courtney C. Radsch, and Alexander Spencer.
Contents
CoverTitleContentsIntroduction: After bin Laden Susan Jeffords and Fahed Al-SumaitPart I. Defining Political Actors1. Bin Laden's Ghost and the Epistemological Crises of Counterterrorism Richard Jackson2.The Discursive Portrayals of Osama bin Laden Aditi Bhatia3.The bin Laden Tapes Andrew HillPart II. Comparing Global News Media4.Words and War: Al Jazeera and Al Qaeda Courtney C. Radsch5.Metaphorizing Terrorism: Al Qaeda in German and British Tabloids Alexander Spencer6.The Myth of the Terrorist as a Lover: Competing Regional Media Frames Noha Mellor7.Images of Our Dead Enemies: Visual Representations of bin Laden, Hussein, and el-Qaddafi Susan MPart III. Engaging Popular Cultures8.Without Osama: Tere bin Laden and the Critique of the War on Terror Purnima Bose9.Obama bin Laden [sic]: How to Win the War on Terror #likeaboss Ryan Croken10.Congratulations! You Have Killed Osama bin Laden!! Simon Ferrari11.Muslims in America and the Post-9/11 Terrorism Debates: Media and Public Opinion Brigitte L. NaEpilogue. After bin Laden: Zero Dark Thirty Susan Jeffords and Fahed Al-SumaitContributorsIndex
