In the Industry: Sport and Terrorism

In the Industry: Sport and Terrorism

By: Christina Wawrowski

Article being analyzed and book subjectCrisis in Sports: An Assessment of the Ongoing Vulnerability to Terrorism in the Modern Age Through an Analysis of the 1972 Munich Olympics and the 2013 Boston Marathon, by: Catherine Hennelly Boyle.

The Challenge of Organizational Communication in regards to Terrorism. From the book, Organizational Communication Approaches and Processes, by: Katherine Miller.

Purpose of the articleThis article is a thesis that takes an in depth look into the attacks at the Munich Olympics in 1972 and the attacks at the Boston Marathon in 2013. She compares and contrasts the two events to be able to evaluate the continuing vulnerability to terrorist attacks specifically at international sporting events and also the global environment. Boyle is able to compare and contract these two events through Downs Five Stage Issue-Attention Cycle and Birklands Focusing Events Theory.

Downs five stage issue-attention cycleThis cycle explains how an issue such as the Munich Olympic attacks and the Boston Marathon Bombings catches the attention of the public and then how the level of attention quickly diminishes before the issue is completely resolved. The Five Stages are: The Pre-Problem Stage. The Alarmed Discovery and Euphoric Enthusiasm Stage. The Realization of the Cost of Significant Progress Stage. The Gradual Decline of Intense Public Interest Stage. The Post-Problem Stage.

Birklands Focusing event theoryThe theory says that unexpected events that disrupt the norms of society can potentially initiate public policy changes.The theory also says that the amount of recognition the media gives to the situation and the political reactions to the situation is what affects the public policy implications of these events.Birklands Type One Focusing Event is considered a normal focusing event, which means the event has occurred in the past and it is predictable.Birklands Type Two Focusing Event is considered a new focusing event, which means the event has never occurred before. Boyle classifies both the Munich Olympic attack and the Boston Marathon Bombings as Type Two Focusing Events.

The 1972 munich olympics The attack occurred on September 5, 1972. The attack was carried out by eight members of a Palestinian terrorist group called Black September. The eight members attacked and killed eleven Israeli Olympic athletes. Black September attacked to support their violent political campaign against Israel.

The boston marathon bombings The attack occurred on April 15, 2013. The attack was carried out by the two Tsarnaev brothers. The Tsarnaevs blew up the bombs near the finish line of the Marathon, killing eight people and injuring hundreds. The two brothers were born in Chechnya, a place where an abundant of extremists live. They used this event to wreak havoc for personal revenge and to exploit American vulnerability to attack.

Downs pre-problem stage and the 1972 munich olympics Israel and Palestine had an extensive history of violence. After World War II, the Israelis lost their homeland because of the Palestinians giving it away to the Jewish. In retaliation, the Israelis attacked and conquered the Arab states. This only made the violence and hatred between the two countries worse. The International Olympic Committee of Germany failed the Israeli athletes. There had been previous attacks near the Games, but the committee failed to address the attacks. The committee only spent $2 million on security. Israeli officials questioned the security choices, requested to be moved from the first floor and for personal security detail. The committee denied the requests. Before the Games began, a forensic psychologist, Dr. Georg Sieber pointed out twenty-six different ways a terrorist could possibly attack.

Downs alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm stage and the 1972 munich olympics This is the stage in which the attack takes place and the problem is brought to the attention of the public. Black September took advantage of an international sporting event to express their political strife with Israel. The large use of media also played a huge part in this event. The Games were being broadcasted on live television, showing every single minute of the attack, playing a role in creating terror for not only the people at the games, but the people watching. The stage transitions from alarmed discovery to euphoric enthusiasm one the public sees that there can potentially be a good ending.Even though the Israelis and Palestinians automatically turned to retaliation for their type of resolution, the public still looked for harmony.

Downs realizing the cost of significant progress stage and the 1972 munich olympics The public realized that for there to be any progress, they would have to pay a significant amount of money.The public also realized there would be more than just the sacrifice of money. They will have to go through more security; like metal detectors, being searched, having personal belongings searched, and more. The cost of progress for the Israelis and Palestinians will be more warfare, violence, and potentially lives because they continue to return to violent retaliation.

Downs gradual decline of intense public interest stage and the 1972 munich olympics This is the stage where the public becomes uninterested with the issue and this could be for a multitude of reasons. Some of those reasons could be they got bored with the issue, there are more interesting things happening around them, they try to forget about the attack, and more. Other events may remind the public of the attack, another Olympic Games for example, because the attack will always be in the back of the publics mind.

Downs post-problem stage and the 1972 munich olympics The attack is over, but still stays with the public for the rest of their lives. The public will continue to live their lives, maybe forgetting about what happened, but will be reminded when the next Olympics comes up. The winter and summer Olympics comes around every two years and comes with the memory of the event. The countries that host the Olympics now have the task of having top notch security.

Birklands Focusing event theory and the 1972 munich olympics First large scale terrorist attack at an international sporting event. Focusing events cause people to look for someone to be responsible and points out flaws. Flaws pointed out by the attack include security, communication systems, and global/domestic counter terrorist strategies. Black September are held responsible, but as is the German International Olympic Committee. The media is also held responsible for the spread of terror. Public policies and agencies connected to terrorism are changed by domestic and international governments to improve counterterrorism and security. International organizations to this day continue to deal with a multitude of issues regarding terrorism.

Downs pre-problem stage and the 2013 boston marathon bombings The undesirable social condition leading up to the Boston Marathon bombing was the United States ongoing vulnerability to terrorism. Boston had been involved with two other terrorist attacks in the past, where two planes were hijacked. The Marathon is the second largest sporting event that is held in one day of the year, adding to its vulnerability.The FBI failed the public of Boston. The FBI was warned by Russian officials in 2011 that one of the Tsarnaev brothers was participating in possible terrorism. The communication between intelligence agencies was also an occurring issue.

Downs alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm stage and the 2013 boston marathon bombings As soon as the bombs exploded, the environment became an instant state of panic, terror, and disorientation. The large use of media also played a huge part in this event. Pictures, videos, and interviews were heard and watched around the world through television broadcasts and through social media. After the event was completely finished, the publics terror and anger turned into positive thinking and a want for justice. The Tsarnaev brothers were identified, which brought the positive thinking that justice would be served. Speeches by government officials like President Obama also raised the spirits of the public, promising them that this issue would be solved and taken care of.

Downs realization of the cost of significant progress stage and the 2013 boston marathon bombings A Next Generation Incident Command System (NICS) would cost millions and still it would only help to prevent future attacks, not stop them completely. The public also realized there would be more than just the sacrifice of money. As a result of the attacks, all backpacks/bags are banned, the spots for spectators to watch the Marathon will be limited, there will be limited spots and only certain people will be allowed around the finish line, and there will be many more police and other types of security placed around the track.

Downs gradual decline of intense public interest stage and the 2013 boston marathon bombings The bad memories from the bombings are pushed to the back of the publics minds and replaced with positive thoughts for the upcoming years. The public now looks to the future Marathons to memorialize the people who tragically lost their lives and to show the strength the city has as one.

Downs post-problem stage and the 2013 boston marathon bombings An increase in security will have an impact on the people, but will keep them safe. Attacks such as this will never be fully forgotten. The Boston Marathon Bombings will be connected to any future terrorist attacks that might occur and will be set as an example that the United States is and will be vulnerable to these attacks.

Birklands Focusing event theory and the 2013 boston marathon bombings Focusing events cause people to look for someone to be responsible and points out flaws. Even though the Tsarnaev brothers were the one who attacked, there is also blame placed on the FBI and the Intelligence agencies. There were flaws in communication and actions of the FBI. The media is also held responsible for the spread of terror. This attack created a new look toward the United States vulnerability and a new tactics were made for emergency preparation and response. There has also been changes in the communication and information sharing policies.

Concepts from the Book subject, terrorism There have been a number of terrorist attacks and other terrorism dealings after the attacks of 9/11 that proves terrorism will be a part of our lives for many years to come. Instead of limiting terrorism to a simple attack by one nation on another, terrorism is strategic violence and an inducer of fear which can largely be enhanced by the worlds advances in technology. For the people following the 9/11 terrorist attack, terrorism is evident, but this is especially true in war on terror and homeland security.

War on terror and homeland securityTo fully understand terrorism, one must have a strong grasp of how the process of terrorist recruitment, socialization, decision making, leadership development, technological connections, and interpersonal contact.Organizational communication must accommodate political negotiations with numerous government entities while also relaying public opinion into forming the ultimate goal. Brian Michael Jenkins says that homeland security, is an ongoing construction project that builds upon philosophy and strategy to ensure effective organization, establish rules and procedures, deploy new technology, and educate a vast army of federal agents, local police, part-time soldiers, private security guards, first responders, medical personnel, public health officials, and individual citizens.Homeland security is responsible for securing the border, monitoring terrorist activity, and assembling competent first response teams.

How, why, and where the concepts apply to the article Both the article and the book discuss how terrorist attacks induced fear within the public. The book discusses 9/11 and how it drastically impacted the world in a negative way. The article discusses the 1972 Munich Olympics and the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings, both attacks caused terror within the public and it explained how the public can suppress the memory, but it will always be with them. Both examples of attacks lead to advances in technology and security to help prevent future attacks and the book discussed it as well. In the article, the Next Generation Information Command System was discussed in the2013 Boston Marathon Bombings and the attacks in the 1972 Munich Olympics lead to increased security in future Games. In the book, improved tracking of possible terrorist activity and improved airport security was analyzed. Both attacks exploited how poor communication and lack of preparation can lead to extreme vulnerability and the book discusses the importance of proper communication. The 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings discussed their poor communication within the Intelligence agencies and how they did not manage the information given them by Russia well. The 1972 Munich Olympics explained that the German International Olympic Committee did not listen to the Islamic officials and did not prepare for the safety of the athletes. The book discusses how good communication improves border security and develops competent good response treams.

How, why, and where the concepts apply to the article Both the book and the article discuss how important and iconic locations are more likely to be targeted for terrorist attacks. The book discusses the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the Libyan consulate in Benghazi. The articles discuss how the terrorists attack certain places and events, like the 1972 Munich Olympics and the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings, because these places attract high rates of tourism and media. Both outline the sacrifices the public has to make due to terrorist attacks. As a result of the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings, the public cannot bring any kind of bag with them, they can only stand in designated places to watch the Marathon, and security lines the path. As a result of the 1972 Munich Olympic attacks, the public is restricted on what they can bring in, their personal belongings get checked, and they have to go through metal detectors. Both attacks also made the public sacrifice a considerable amount of money. The book discusses airport security. Both sources discuss the role the media plays in the reporting of terrorist attacks. The book explains that news stations play a role in preventing terrorist attacks. The media is discussed in both attacks in which it spread the news of the attacks to whoever was watching on the television and around the world. They both also discussed that the media played a large role in expanding the feeling of fear.

How, why, and where the concepts apply to the articleBoth sources discuss how unexpected terrorist attacks lead to the implementation of new public policies. The book explains that the passport application processes has been changed since terrorist attacks. The policy was changed in regards to communication and information sharing because of the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings. New public policies were put into place as a result of the 1972 Munich Olympic attacks that increased the security used worldwide and lead to creation of national counterterrorist units. Both the article and book discuss international terrorist attacks. Out of all of the people injured in the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombings, there were ninety countries being represented by the runners and the Marathon was being shown on television and being played on radios all around the world. The Olympics is a an event where teams come from all around the world to compete against each other in multiple athletic games. This attack was also international to us, in Germany. The book discusses attacks in London, Madrid, Bali, India, and Benghazi.

Questions and thoughts With technology advancing as quickly as it is, will we be prepared for future terrorist activity? Yes, this technology is helping us to prevent such activity, but terrorist organizations also have access to similar technology. How do we stay ahead? Do you think that we will stay organized and take future warnings of potential terrorist activity, especially from another country, more seriously? Is there anything the public can do to help prevent future terrorist activity? Do you think there will ever be a time where war and terrorism is not an issue? Do you believe that the United States is more vulnerable to a terrorist attack now? Are there steps we can take to ensure future safety?

referencesBoyle, Catherine H. "Crisis in Sports: An Assessment of the Ongoing Vulnerability to Terrorism in the Modern Age Through an Analysis of the 1972 Munich Olympics and the 2013 Boston Marathon." Google Scholar. Boston College University, 2 May 2014. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.Fredericks, Bob. Finish Line. Digital image. New York Post. N.p., 8 Apr. 2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.Guy, History. "Munich Massacre of Israelis at 1972 Olympics." YouTube. YouTube, 3 Dec. 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.Miller, Katherine. Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes. Stanford: CENGAGE Learning, 2015. Print.Sherwell, Philip. Exploding Bomb. Digital image. The Telegraph. N.p., 12 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.Staff, ABS. Bombing Injuries. Digital image. Atlanta Blackstar. N.p., 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.