Social Construction of Fear: The Role of the Media

Abstract

In this chapter, Meschoulam assesses the findings of the fourth phase of the qualitative investigation, which centered on exploring perceptions and conceptions about the media. Meschoulam asks what did participants from previous phases meant by ``The Media{''}? What was it that drew participants to certain media and caused them to reject others? What made them angry or caused them to react negatively to specific media or journalists, and how were these sentiments socially constructed? What role did social media play in this process? What would a media source have to change to be considered more reliable? Specifically, how should the media cover violence? Meschoulam links the findings of this study to one of the pillars of peacebuilding: the free flow of information.