One can almost chart the coverage of a terrorist attack depending on its circumstances. It almost goes without saying that if a real firearm were used in an attack, that will instantly become the focus. Even if this isn’t the case, the gun grabber cadres will seize on the ‘It could have been worse’ line of thinking.
While knives and trucks could engender the same response, these tools of terror aren’t intrinsically targeted by the left at present. This is partially because it would make the Left look silly in going after these items while being further down the priority list.
The media will then focus on the terrorist, but only if it is politically expedient to do so. Data of the perpetrator becomes paramount at this stage with the breathless hope that it’s not one of the usual suspect groups. Often times it will be a Known Wolf with that part of the story about the authorities dropping the ball quickly forgotten. If that isn’t the case, the floodgates can open and wall to wall coverage will continue for as long as possible.
Consequently, if the terrorist turns out to be of Islamic origin, the media will quickly tire of the story in lieu of other priorities such as the merest possibility of a chance of the slightest backlash, or the unverified reports thereof.
New York terrorist revealed after Manhattan attack | Daily Mail Online
The Holland Tunnel is located in lower Manhattan, near where Saipov started his rampage on Tuesday. Her brother Bekhzod Abdusamatov, 22, told NBC that Saipov was polite and said there was nothing unusual about him. Muminov said he heard from Saipov’s friends that Saipov’s truck engine blew up a few months ago in New Jersey.
NBC News Posts Muslim ‘Backlash’ St | The Daily Caller
“And then, basically, I was wondering if it was a Muslim who did it.” “My biggest concern is that he’s readily identified as a Muslim and then that is extrapolated out to my own faith,” the doctor added. The Muslim “backlash” story is a common refrain in Western media reporting after terror attacks committed or inspired by radical Islamic groups. After the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, nearly every national media outlet and several local news stations ran stories on Muslims fretting about how they would be subjected to a wave of hate from American society.
The takeaway
Connections with known terrorist groups will only serve to perplex the media and quickly have them move on to more important concerns.
Given these circumstances, the media will search out any diversionary tales or opinions that the attack was anti-Islamic or the strawman that the Arabic phrase used in these attacks will be outlawed. Intuitively contrary opinions will also be offered with regard to the vetting of immigrants or examinations of how political correctness was complicit in the attack. These factors will determine how long the story remains prominent in the news cycle ranging from 1 – 2 days or several weeks.
