Mideast Hijacking

It is time the electronic and print media explore the active role they play in aiding and abetting international terrorism. The free exposure of hostage-taker’s propaganda and demands probably does more to increase terrorists’ leverage and weaken the negotiating position of the U.S. government than any other factor.

The Times devoted half of its front page (June 22) to “the hostage crisis.” One of the articles, “Crisis Threatens to Take Reagan Hostage,” illustrates the situation. The article stated that although President Reagan has “tried his best to keep the crisis from dominating the national consciousness and thus controlling his own course of action . . . uncontrollable events and the public’s own reaction have seemed repeatedly to override the pragmatic intentions of the White House tacticians.” White House spokesman Larry Speakes is quoted, “It was obvious from the beginning we were not going to let a group of hijackers feel like they have the President of the United States jumping through hoops.”

It probably makes little difference what the President does as long as the hijackers can cause the entire American press to jump through hoops. How can the national consciousness not be dominated by the crisis when the media give it constant and overwhelming exposure? What incentive do the terrorists have to release hostages when they are receiving daily headline exposure for themselves?

If the government takes a hard line in negotiations, terrorists can use the media to go after public opinion for concessions. They can always drag a hostage before the television cameras to read a statement, which the press will uncritically cover, regardless of whether they are being used as propaganda tools. The constant interviews with hostage families, and the hostage biographies rip at America’s heartstrings and make a government hard line almost impossible, even though granting concessions may cause more hijackings and bloodshed in the future.

If the press takes a hard look at itself it might realize that slogans like “America held hostage” blow the crisis out of proportion and actually create a public reaction of frustration and helplessness. The media may enhance the likelihood of an eventual safe return of the American hostages if it voluntarily limits coverage to skeletal facts and refuses to allow itself to be taken hostage.

KATHY L. AKIN

Rancho Palos Verdes