This report is from Phase 1 of GIFCT’s research network initiative. Please note that during this time the network was known as the Global Research Network on Terrorism and Technology (GRNTT) and was delivered by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).
Terrorism is fundamentally a type of violent communication designed to influence audiences broader than the direct recipients of that violence. Consequently, post-terrorist incident responses may significantly shape how a terrorist attack is perceived and its implications. Social media platforms, especially, play a significant role in the modern crisis-communication media ecology and the processes of public sense-making. This paper identifies the need for post-terrorist incident communications strategies, draws out pertinent lessons from a multidisciplinary literature analysis and outlines key considerations for the technology, government and media sectors when creating guidelines to respond to terrorist events.
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