Book Examines Public and Media Responses to Sept. 11

Communication researchers worldwide have geared up to examine responses to the tragedy of Sept. 11, resulting in a new book compiled and edited by Michigan State University faculty member Bradley Greenberg.

In Communication and Terrorism: Public and Media Responses to 9/11, Greenberg brings together research findings that encompass the full range of social communication issues relevant to Sept. 11. Greenberg is a university distinguished professor of communication and telecommunication.

The first set of chapters looks at the communication behaviors -- mass and interpersonal -- of varying segments of the public. The second set examines content dimensions of the news coverage, as well as non-news content symbols that played a role in the understanding of and reactions to that day's events. Studies in the third section deal with the nature and range of public responses -- how children, young people and adults coped.

Studies include:

* diffusion of news of the attacks.* the role of the Internet.* tracking of media use and gratifications.* how television covered the crisis.* the portrayal of the enemy in editorial cartoons.* national studies of stress reactions.* parents' perceptions of their children's fears.* the role of communication in coping with terror.

"I was struck by the perceived importance and excellence of television in conveying information, providing a communal meeting place and stimulating interpersonal communication in response to the tragedies of 9/11," Greenberg said. "At the same time, research in the book identifies the strong need for and role of interpersonal relationships in not only sharing and interpreting the news, but also in coping with troubling information."

Internet access was at 64 percent nationally at the time of the attacks, but research suggests that the Internet played only a supplementary role to television during the attacks.

"At the time of the attacks, the Internet had limited video capacities," Greenberg said. "Because the attacks were a highly visual event, television was superior in conveying information about them."

Further, many Web sites were not prepared to handle the massive number of users that attempted to log on for information on Sept. 11.

It is possible, Greenberg said, that as video technology and high-speed Internet access become more widespread and as Web sites become able to handle greater numbers of users, the Internet has the potential to become a stronger source of information in times of crises.

The book is published by Hampton Press, Norwood, N.J.