ABSTRACT
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were broadcast live on television and watched by millions as they unfolded. Many networks repeatedly broadcast vivid images of the September 11 attacks, including the collision of the airplanes with the World Trade Center (WTC) towers, people falling from the towers, the towers collapsing, and people running for their lives. One survey conducted soon after the attacks found that 98% of people in the U.S. watched at least an hour of television coverage on September 11 (Schuster et al., 2001). Considering the wide reach of television into homes across the country, it is important to examine the role television watching may play in shaping psychopathology in the aftermath of a disaster.
