The media are critical in providing a discourse of fear. Photo: Provided

It has now surpassed a decade since the attacks of 9/11 transformed the world that we live in, and as a forever expanding state of paranoia emerged in the aftermath, there has seemingly been a never-ending supply of reasons to be afraid of, well, just about anything.

In the following feature piece, Ethan Nash takes a look at how the media play a central role in producing a discourse of fear, and how this has allowed the press to manipulate public opinion for many years.

THE MEDIA AND FEAR

Look around you at this very moment. According to the media, avian and swine flu pandemics are running rapid, international terrorism remains entangled in every aspect of our lives, religious extremism seeks to destroy the freedom of you and your family, and a ‘black thug’ is ready to rob…