Institute of Advanced Studies

In the present state of the world, the risk of future acts of terrorism cannot be dismissed, although much remains unknown about the actual magnitude of risk and how it might be eliminated or reduced.

The response against the risk of terrorism has included pre-emptive war, illegal kidnapping and indefinite detention of suspects the world over, and legalised practice of certain forms of torture by Western governments. The long-term consequences of these strategies are poorly understood. Do they reduce the risk of terrorism or fuel it?

A crucial component of the struggle between those opposing forces is vying for public perception. The public relies on the media to inform on these important issues, but what is real and what is spin? The official justifications given for the war in Iraq all turned out to be false. Many terror suspects have never been charged for their alleged offences. What are the processes that determine what the public is willing to support when iconic media images suggest our basic security is at stake?

These questions were explored in a series of public lectures and a two-and-a-half-day intensive symposium that reflected an interdisciplinary international collaboration of experts in four key fields:

• Media and communication studies
• Experimental and clinical psychology
• Public perceptions and political science
• Criminal justice  and law.

6 - 13 August 2007