Overview

Starting in 2001, much of the world media used the image of Osama bin Laden as a shorthand for terrorism. Bin Laden himself considered media manipulation on a par with military, political, and ideological tools, and intentionally used interviews, taped speeches, and distributed statements to further al-Qaida's ends.   In Covering Bin Laden, editors Susan Jeffords and Fahed Yahya Al-Sumait collect perspectives from global scholars exploring a startling premise: that media depictions of Bin Laden not only diverge but often contradict each other, depending on the media provider and format, the place in which the depiction is presented, and the viewer's political and cultural background. The contributors analyze the representations of the many Bin Ladens, ranging from Al Jazeera broadcasts to video games. They examine the media's dominant role in shaping our understanding of terrorists and why/how they should be feared, and they engage with the ways the mosaic of Bin Laden images and narratives have influenced policies and actions around the world.   Contributors include Fahed Al-Sumait, Saranaz Barforoush, Aditi Bhatia, Purnima Bose, Ryan Croken, Simon Ferrari, Andrew Hill, Richard Jackson, Susan Jeffords, Joanna Margueritte-Giecewicz, Noha Mellor, Susan Moeller, Brigitte Nacos, Courtney C. Radsch, and Alexander Spencer.

Full Product Details

Author:   Susan Jeffords ,  Fahed Al-Sumait ,  Fahed Al-Sumait ,  Saranaz Barforoush
Publisher:   University of Illinois Press
Imprint:   University of Illinois Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.626kg
ISBN:  

9780252038860

ISBN 10:   025203886
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   26 January 2015
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

CoverTitleContentsIntroduction: After bin Laden Susan Jeffords and Fahed Al-SumaitPart I. Defining Political Actors1. Bin Laden’s Ghost and the Epistemological Crises of Counterterrorism Richard Jackson2.The Discursive Portrayals of Osama bin Laden Aditi Bhatia3.The bin Laden Tapes Andrew HillPart II. Comparing Global News Media4.Words and War: Al Jazeera and Al Qaeda Courtney C. Radsch5.Metaphorizing Terrorism: Al Qaeda in German and British Tabloids Alexander Spencer6.The Myth of the Terrorist as a Lover: Competing Regional Media Frames Noha Mellor7.Images of Our Dead Enemies: Visual Representations of bin Laden, Hussein, and el-Qaddafi Susan MPart III. Engaging Popular Cultures8.Without Osama: Tere bin Laden and the Critique of the War on Terror Purnima Bose9.Obama bin Laden [sic]: How to Win the War on Terror #likeaboss Ryan Croken10.Congratulations! You Have Killed Osama bin Laden!! Simon Ferrari11.Muslims in America and the Post-9/11 Terrorism Debates: Media and Public Opinion Brigitte L. NaEpilogue. After bin Laden: Zero Dark Thirty Susan Jeffords and Fahed Al-SumaitContributorsIndex

Reviews

Illustrates the details of the construction of the bridge between various communication fields [and] underscores the relationship among political players, the news media, and popular cultures. These connections are often talked about, but seldom with the sophistication found in this volume... A thoughtful and valuable book. --Philip Seib, author of Real-Time Diplomacy: Politics and Power in the Social Media Era An extremely timely and important collection on a theme that has huge contemporary significance, both politically and from a communication/popular culture perspective. --Daya K. Thussu, author of News as Entertainment: The Rise of Global Infotainment

An extremely timely and important collection on a theme that has huge contemporary significance, both politically and from a communication/popular culture perspective. --Daya K. Thussu, author of News as Entertainment: The Rise of Global Infotainment

Illustrates the details of the construction of the bridge between various communication fields [and] underscores the relationship among political players, the news media, and popular cultures. These connections are often talked about, but seldom with the sophistication found in this volume... A thoughtful and valuable book. --Philip Seib, author of Real-Time Diplomacy: Politics and Power in the Social Media Era This book is concerned with the presentation and interpretation of bin Laden, which is crucial. The assessments of some contributors may surprise younger readers, but those who are older will likely enjoy the details. Recommended. --Choice An extremely timely and important collection on a theme that has huge contemporary significance, both politically and from a communication/popular culture perspective. --Daya K. Thussu, author of News as Entertainment: The Rise of Global Infotainment This is an important book, well suited for graduate studies-media studies or global media. Each chapter is interesting, insightful, and completely written-bringing a diverse wealth of knowledge on a contentious topic that elicits mixed reactions across civilizations. --Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly

Author Information

Susan Jeffords is a professor of women's studies and English at the University of Washington and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Washington Bothell. Her books include Hard Bodies: Hollywood Masculinity in the Reagan Era. Fahed Al-Sumait is an assistant professor of communication at the Gulf University for Science and Technology in Kuwait.

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