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This is a Content Analysis study.

November 17, 2025Open Access

Exploring media responses to terrorist attacks: A content analysis of portrayed mitigation strategies to terrorism in German and Austrian newspapers

Key Points

Media reports emphasize mitigation strategies with a higher focus on security and migration control, neglecting deradicalization efforts.
Findings from content analysis of 1514 articles on nine terrorist attacks since 2016 reveal significant trends.
Content analysis explored factors like death toll and media environment affecting coverage of strategies.
Increasing awareness among journalists is crucial to address the implications of their coverage on public perception.

Abstract

This study investigates the types of mitigation strategies discussed in news reports about terrorist attacks (TAs) in German and Austrian newspapers, examining the differences between security- and surveillance-related (SSR) and restrictive migration-control strategies versus community-bonding and deradicalization strategies. A content analysis of N = 1514 articles on nine TAs in Western Europe since 2016 examines which characteristics of the attacks (rightwing TAs vs. Islamist TAs; death toll; and number of injured victims), the media environment, and the article (tabloid vs. broadsheet; country of reporting; article type; time frame; and article length) predicted the mitigation strategies presented in the articles. Results revealed that media coverage of TAs disproportionately emphasizes SSR and migration-control strategies, while largely neglecting deradicalization measures. This focus may contribute to shaping negative out-group perceptions, highlighting the need for increased awareness among journalists regarding the implications of their reporting.

Exploring media responses to terrorist attacks: A content analysis of portrayed mitigation strategies to terrorism in German and Austrian newspapers

Key Points

Abstract

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