There’s no doubt that US public opinion has shifted towards favoring military strikes against Islamic State fighters. A key element is the idea that the country could be attacked by the group.
Where do people get this idea? TV news might be one place. The September 10 broadcast of ABC World News offered one of the most unbelievable examples.
Anchor David Muir, reminding viewers that it was “the eve of 9/11,” explained:
A new alert here. The head of Homeland Security and New York City’s police commissioner now warning the risk of a terror attack is at its highest in years.
He went to note that there was “no specific plot,” but then told viewers that “the rise of ISIS and all of their messages through social media raising the level of concern.”
He turned to correspondent Pierre Thomas, who explained that “sources tell me that on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, we are in a high tempo moment” and that “ISIS has set in motion a new dynamic.” Next up was a clip of New York City police commissioner Bill Bratton, saying the group poses a threat that is “probably even more potentially impactful on us than Al-Qaeda.”
Thomas follows up:
Also today, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said that ISIS had the most sophisticated social media and Internet messaging system ever designed by a terrorist organization. That means it can reach people directly in the US and encourage them to attack. A dangerous moment, David.
So there is a heightened threat of a terrorist attack, absent any specifics, which may or may not have something to do with a violent cult located in Syria and Iraq. They pose a threat because of their technological sophistication–which seems to be built around their ability to put videos on the Internet, which perhaps someone in the US might see and take as a sign to attack. (Note that the ability to “reach people directly in the the US and encourage them to attack” long predates the Internet; trans-Atlantic direct dialing was inaugurated in 1951.)
Of course, it is entirely possible that there is some genuine threat here. But what there isn’t is actual evidence of such a threat presented by ABC News. Vague terror warnings from government officials should be challenged, not merely amplified. ABC‘s report doesn’t tell us much about what the threat might be; what it does do exceptionally well is scare millions of viewers.