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 Elon
School of Communications faculty member Brooke Barnett has teamed
with Amy Reynolds, a colleague from Indiana University, to write
two book chapters and a conference paper about the media coverage
of September 11.
"This research examines the visual and verbal frames implicit
in the coverage and the free speech issues that arose after the
attacks," explained Barnett.
"Free
Speech Implications in the Wake of September 11" was published
in February in "Studies in Terrorism: Media Scholarship and
the Enigma of Terror," a book of peer-reviewed articles by
the Journal of International Communication, edited by N. Chitty,
R.R. Rush and M. Semati.
The chapter
by Barnett and Reynolds is study of the impact of the September
11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent U.S. "war on terrorism"
on political dissent, rights of association and access to information
by the media and the public.
According to
the authors' research, a legal and historical analysis suggests
that the recently enacted U.S. Patriot Act fits a historical pattern
the U.S. government has established during the past 200 years to
limit and sometimes silence voices of dissent during times of war.
An analysis of current legal challenges, Congressional debate, media
coverage, the text of legislation and transcripts of public statements
by various individuals and organizations suggests that the U.S.
Patriot Act and efforts by the current U.S. Attorney General to
limit public and media access to information pose a threat to the
First Amendment.
"We conclude
that the U.S. government response to the terrorist acts of September
11, 2001, has the potential to unconstitutionally limit First Amendment
speech and association rights of U.S. citizens and legal aliens,"
write the authors. "We also argue that new government efforts
to block the release of important information will place an unnecessarily
restrictive burden on the media who seek to shed light on governmental
behavior at a time when the public needs to receive this information
the most - during times of war."
Another chapter
by Barnett and Reynolds, coming out this spring, is "America
Under Attack: CNN's Verbal and Visual Framing of September 11th,"
included in "Media Representations of September 11th"
(New York: Praeger), edited by Steven Chermak, Frank Bailey and
Michelle Brown. "This chapter qualitatively deconstructs and
analyzes CNN's verbal and visual "breaking news" coverage
of September 11 and suggests that CNN created a powerful visual
and verbal frame with its coverage," said Barnet. "This
frame shows viewers that the events of September 11 comprised an
act of war so horrific that immediate military retaliation was not
only justified but necessary."
Barnett and
Reynolds have also been invited to present their paper "CNN's framing
of September 11: Suggesting an Appropriate Response to Terrorism"
at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association
in San Diego in May.
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