ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the communicative networks of the “information age” facilitate contemporary global terrorism, a risk system made up of decentralized actors ideologically and/or tactically webbed through new information technologies. After describing some potential actors and grievances associated with decentralized terrorist organizations, the chapter considers the role of mass communication in public opinion formation, the rising influence of non-state actors, the increasingly sophisticated media strategies employed by those with Middle Eastern interests, and the US government’s attempts to use media to counter the influence of terrorist organizations. Computer-mediated communication greatly facilitates the expansion of contemporary global terrorism as a risk system. While contemporary global terrorists have discovered the Internet’s usefulness for communicating with both internal and external audiences, they have also discovered its significance for tactical operations. The chapter also reveals some important implications for future research concerning the relationship between communication technology and the magnified risk of violence and terrorism due to contemporary global terrorism.
