Media Representation Of Terrorism Issue From The Perspective Of Risk Communication

Over the past 15 years, terrorism seriously threatened the safety of mankind's lives, and more than ten violent terrorist incidents fiercely strengthened the Chinese's perception of terrorism. The dangers of terrorism are not only the reality, but also potential risks. Viewing terrorism from the perspective of "risk" can help us figure out how to more effectively reduce the negative effects that terrorism risk may bring.Risk society is a highly mediated society, and mass media plays an important role in risk communication. Since media's risk communication on terrorism is constructive, in order to reduce the public panic that the terrorism risk could bring, and to avoid becoming loudspeakers of terrorists, media must highlight or weaken some faces of the terrorism issue. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the media's construction in risk communication on terrorism.This study is based on the reports of terrorism issue of the People's Daily (2001-2015), using the risk communication theory to examine media's constructive characteristics and strategies in communicating terrorism risk. As a constructive theory, frame theory provides a methodological support to this study. Through three analyzing approaches, including the plot/issue frames, the generic news frames and the risk issues frames, this study analyzes media's reporting tendency, communicating form and risk communication in constructing the terrorism issue, on the basis of which, using issue-attention-cycle model, observing media's changing trend and moving locus in constructing the terrorism issue.It's found that the People's Daily constructs the general terrorism issue by stating facts, with analyses and interpretation being supplements. But it's more likely to analyze and interpret when reporting domestic terrorist incidents. It tends to use responsibility frame and leadership frame to present the government's counter-terrorism determination and measures, and it also uses confict frame and morality frame to condemn terrorists and western media who hold double standard on terrorism when reporting domestic terrorist incidents. The People's Daily mainly communicates risk decision and risk control, which embodies the responsibility consciousness in order to sustain social stability and trust.