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Decision-making, visual information and threats
Unformatted Document Text:  I NTRODUCTION Decision-makers are continuously exposed to information that has to be evaluated and processed in order to determine which threats, old and new, should be placed, removed or reprioritised on the security agenda. How decision-makers perceive the world and how they process new information will inevitably influence their behaviour. In Sweden and Estonia decision-makers chose to place terrorism high on the security agenda after the events of 9/11, despite the fact that neither country was directly targeted by a terrorist threat. 1 Furthermore, there was little evidence to suggest that Sweden would come under such a threat and after four years since 9/11 this still holds true. A fundamental part of the 9/11 attacks were the dramatic visuals that were broadcast live and in real-time all over the world. The images of the passenger planes crashing into the twin towers, people jumping to escape the smoke and flames, and the subsequent collapse of both skyscrapers, are certainly etched into millions of viewersā€™ memories across the globe. The centrality of these images highlights the role of visual information and the potential of mass television media. More specifically, it raises the question of the influence of visuals on the formation and perception of threat. The many technological advances made in the last couple of decades have dramatically increased the access to mass media and the pace at which television news and visuals are broadcast. According to many scholars and practitioners television media has become an increasingly pervasive part of life and source of information for decision-makers and publics alike (e.g. Taylor 1997; Rosenau 1990; Kaldor 1999). Therefore, the overall aim of our research project is to find theoretical and empirical material that can elucidate the nature of the relationship between television news, visual information processing and decision-making connected to 1 Although, terrorism was on the Swedish agenda before 9/11 after the attacks the threat of terrorism was given much higher priority and changes to the national security policy were quickly ratified in order to be better prepared for terrorist threats. See for example, ā€¯Prop. 2001/02:01. Fortsatt fƶrnyelse av totalfƶrsvaret, 2002-04-02, http://forsvar.regeringen.se/propositionermm/propositioner/pdf/p200102_10.pdf 2

Authors: Blondel, Ylva. and Sjöstedt, Roxanna.
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I
NTRODUCTION
Decision-makers are continuously exposed to information that has to be evaluated
and processed in order to determine which threats, old and new, should be placed,
removed or reprioritised on the security agenda. How decision-makers perceive
the world and how they process new information will inevitably influence their
behaviour. In Sweden and Estonia decision-makers chose to place terrorism high
on the security agenda after the events of 9/11, despite the fact that neither
country was directly targeted by a terrorist threat.
evidence to suggest that Sweden would come under such a threat and after four
years since 9/11 this still holds true.
A fundamental part of the 9/11 attacks were the dramatic visuals that were
broadcast live and in real-time all over the world. The images of the passenger
planes crashing into the twin towers, people jumping to escape the smoke and
flames, and the subsequent collapse of both skyscrapers, are certainly etched into
millions of viewersā€™ memories across the globe. The centrality of these images
highlights the role of visual information and the potential of mass television
media. More specifically, it raises the question of the influence of visuals on the
formation and perception of threat. The many technological advances made in the
last couple of decades have dramatically increased the access to mass media and
the pace at which television news and visuals are broadcast. According to many
scholars and practitioners television media has become an increasingly pervasive
part of life and source of information for decision-makers and publics alike (e.g.
Taylor 1997; Rosenau 1990; Kaldor 1999).
Therefore, the overall aim of our research project is to find theoretical and
empirical material that can elucidate the nature of the relationship between
television news, visual information processing and decision-making connected to
1
Although, terrorism was on the Swedish agenda before 9/11 after the attacks the threat of terrorism was
given much higher priority and changes to the national security policy were quickly ratified in order to be
better prepared for terrorist threats. See for example, ā€¯Prop. 2001/02:01. Fortsatt fƶrnyelse av totalfƶrsvaret,
2002-04-02, http://forsvar.regeringen.se/propositionermm/propositioner/pdf/p200102_10.pdf
2


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