The 'new phenomenon': An examination of American media portrayal of Muslim female suicide bombers

Within most societies women's traditional roles are those of nurturers and caregivers. When women break from these conventional norms, society is forced to rationalize the disconnect with the traditional schema. Often described by American media as the 'new phenomenon,' female suicide bombers are presented in a way that highlights the discomfort and fascination with women in combat roles. This paper will look at the caricatures of female terrorists in the news and answer the question; does the American media present an accurate portrayal of female suicide bombers? Recent publications have presented a general overview of female combatants within the international media. My research is focused upon the specific terrorist act of suicide bombing and how this act defies the American media's prescribed roles of women. I plan to use a qualitative approach to research. Along with the above-mentioned publications, I will be primarily using a LexisNexis comprehensive search including print news, Internet articles, radio and television transcripts. I will look at the length of the news stories and frequency of selected terminology.;Inclusive in the search will be an analysis of the frequency of articles that focus on male suicide bombers as oppose to women suicide bombers. Generally the male suicide bomber is portrayed in American news as a crazed religious fundamentalist with no other background added. In contrast, reports of female terrorists often focus on descriptions of their physical appearance, family life, background and their emotional state. I will use applied research, focusing not on cause and effect relationships but commonalities and patterns that exist in the framing of female suicide bombers in contrast to the coverage of male bombers. And lastly, examine the impact of these news presentations and a recommended course of action. Given the correlation between the media and terrorist acts, it's imperative that the media present female suicide terrorism in a way that does not promote further acts.