Video and Foreign Policy
Terrorism
"Television, by its very nature, escalates a hostage crisis far beyond its actual importance, making it very difficcult for an administration to stick to its policy of no concessions to terrorists" (Wallach).
Should the press provide a platform for terrorists to make their demands known to the public? During the TWA crisis, terrorist Nabih Birri was given access to video technology, which would be televised. Birri was asked if he had a messsage for Reagan, and then Reagan was asked for his response.
Video was also used during the Iran hostage crisis. U.S. television networks paid for interviews with terrorists on videotape or offered airtime for unedited statements. Television networks now edit interviews with terrorists and/or hostages since that crisis when television was used for propaganda purposes.
