Communicating Terror: The Rhetorical Dimensions Of Terrorism

Communicating Terror: The Rhetorical Dimensions of Terrorism argues that the meaning of terrorism is socially constructed and suggests a new definition of terrorism, chiefly as a process of communication???between terrorists and multiple target audiences. Concise yet comprehensive, this text examines how acts of "terrorism" create rhetorical acts: What messages, persuasive meanings, symbols, do acts of terrorism generate and communicate to the world at large? These rhetorical components include definitions and labels, symbolism in terrorism, public oratory about terrorism, and the relationship between terror and media. This unique "communication" perspective shows how the rhetoric of terrorism is truly a war of words, symbols, and meanings. argues that the meaning of terrorism is socially constructed and suggests a new definition of terrorism, chiefly as a process of communication???between terrorists and multiple target audiences. Concise yet comprehensive, this text examines how acts of "terrorism" create rhetorical acts: What messages, persuasive meanings, symbols, do acts of terrorism generate and communicate to the world at large? These rhetorical components include definitions and labels, symbolism in terrorism, public oratory about terrorism, and the relationship between terror and media. This unique perspective shows how the rhetoric of terrorism is truly a war of words, symbols, and meanings.

??Features of this text: This is the first text to approach terrorism as a socially constructed, communicative process with rhetorical significance. The content examines diverse acts of terrorism, not just September 11th or recent events in the Middle East, to show the history andvarious effects of these acts as a medium for communication. The book investigates the persuasive impact of terrorism by exploring the communicative goals of a terror act, how the mass media convey and manipulate the terrorist message and act, and how the media portrayal shapes public perception, and, subsequently, international discourse and policy. The book presents real domestic and global case studies of terrorists and terrorist acts to make the application of rhetorical theory practical and accessible.

??About the Author:

Joseph S. Tuman is Professor of Political and Legal Communications in the Department of Speech and Communication at San Francisco State University. He is the recipient of the Jacobus tenBroek Society award for teaching excellence, and has published widely in the field of political and legal communications. Professor Tuman has also taught at the University of California, St. Mary??'s College, the New School for Social Research, and Paris II, the top law school in France. His work has been featured in news publications including the "New York Times," the "Los Angeles Times," and the "San Francisco Chronicle," and he has often contributed to local and national network news.