What the Public Thinks of News Coverage Since Sept. 11
A Brookings/Harvard Forum
Terror Coverage Boost News Media’s Images
Introduction and Summary These are the best of times and the worst of times for the news media when it comes to public support. By and large, Americans continue to praise the press for its coverage of the war on terrorism, here and abroad. So much so that the general image of the media has, […]
Worries About Terrorism Subside in Mid-America
Introduction and Summary The public’s worries over terrorism have declined since mid-October, despite government warnings of new attacks and recurring anthrax incidents. But this decrease in concern is not being felt uniformly across the country, and is not associated with greater confidence in the government’s ability to deal with the terrorist threat. If anything, Americans […]
America’s New Internationalist Point of View
Introduction and Summary The terrorist attacks and the war in Afghanistan have created a new internationalist sentiment among the public. There is much more support for a multilateral foreign policy than before Sept.11, with roughly six-in-ten (59%) now saying that the interests of allies should be taken into account by U.S. policymakers. By about a […]
Attacks at Home Draw More Interest than War Abroad
Introduction and Summary As reports of anthrax attacks dominate the media, the public is paying far greater attention to news of terrorism at home than to the war in Afghanistan. Interest in terrorist attacks is now running as high as during the early days after Sept. 11 – fully 78% are following news of terrorism […]
The View Before 9/11: America’s Place in the World
Report Summary America’s view of the world changed dramatically, and perhaps permanently, on Sept. 11. But in order to measure the nature and extent of these changes it is important to understand where attitudes toward international issues stood before the attacks occurred. A three-month survey by the Pew Research Center, in collaboration with the Council […]
Public Remains Steady in Face of Anthrax Scare
Introduction and Summary Reports of new anthrax cases in New York and elsewhere are not raising public anxiety or further demoralizing Americans. Reports of depression, sleeplessness and concern over renewed terrorism have not increased following the news on Oct. 12 that an NBC employee had been infected with anthrax. In the wake of those reports, […]
The Commons of the Tragedy: How the Internet was used by millions after the terror attacks
The most significant development online after the attack has been the outpouring of grief, prayerful communication, information dissemination through email, and political commentary.
Just War Tradition and the New War on Terrorism
National Press Club Washington, D.C. A discussion with: Jean Bethke Elshtain, Professor, University of Chicago and Co-chair, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life Professor Elshtain is a political philosopher whose task has been to show the connections between our political and our ethical convictions. Her works include Augustine and the Limits of Politics and […]
Military Action A Higher Priority Than Homeland Defense
Introduction and Summary The public’s strong commitment to the use of military force in retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is predicated at least in part on the idea that a good offense represents the best defense. By 44%-33%, Americans think that taking military action abroad to destroy global terrorist networks is more important […]
