“Badtime” Stories: The Frames of Terror Promoted by Political Actors

Political actors often use public diplomacy in an attempt to promote their messages. This study deals with the frame-building process and presents the frames on terror used by political actors involved in three conflicts that utilize terror as a weapon: the conflict between the United States and al-Qaida, the conflict between the United Kingdom and Islamic groups, and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Each political actor's story is divided into three elements (compatible to Entman's “framing” definition): problem, cause, and solution. Differences among the frames promoted by the actors are explained by variations in cultural values and a country's role in the international arena and in its previous experience in conflicts.