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- Politics, media and war: 9/11 and its aftermaths
Politics, media and war: 9/11 and its aftermaths

The terrorist attacks of 9/11 not only cost some 3,000 lives, they also deeply scarred the American consciousness and made a deep impact on US foreign policy and the world at large. This free course, Politics, media and war: 9/11 and its aftermaths, assesses the wider consequences of 9/11 not just on domestic and world politics, but also on the media.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- construct an argument with appropriate use of evidence, concepts and theories from the humanities and social sciences
- communicate arguments, ideas and conclusions effectively, using styles and language appropriate to the subject, and be aware of your purpose and audience
- demonstrate a familiarity with and ability to selectively and appropriately refer to key concepts, theories and debates relevant to understanding the phenomenon of and debates about contemporary terrorism and the international consequences of 9/11.
First Published: 10/08/2012
Updated: 26/04/2016
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If you want to be able to track your progress, earn a free Statement of Participation, and access all course quizzes and activities, sign-up.
Course content
- Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Politics, media and war
- 2 Terrorism and its meanings
- 3 State responses to threats posed by non-state agents
- 4 Military pre-emption in foreign policy
- 4 Military pre-emption in foreign policy
- 4.1 The US national security strategy in 2002 and 2006
- 4.2 Neoconservatism and the Bush Doctrine
- 4.3 US power questioned and asserted
- 4.4 Neoconservatism questioned: foreign policy beyond Bush
- 4.5 Criticisms of pre-emption or a preventative war
- 4.6 Criticism of the war on terror
- 4.7 A war for oil?
- 4.8 Europe, the US, and the war on terror
- 4.9 Britain: between the US and Europe
- 5 The US as global hegemon – the practice of global dominance
- 5 The US as global hegemon – the practice of global dominance
- 5.1 The US as hyperpower before 9/11
- 5.2 The US as hyperpower after 9/11
- 5.3 Domestic critics of US power
- 5.4 International critics of US power
- 5.5 The US’s legitimacy crisis
- 5.6 The US’s problematic future as an empire
- 5.7 The US administration in 2008
- 5.8 Middle Eastern views of current US administration
- 5.9 Reflection
- 6 Media and the production of spectacle
- 7 Interactions between policymakers, media and citizens
- 8 Media audiences and users post 9/11
- 9 The impacts of 9/11 on British society
- 9 The impacts of 9/11 on British society
- 9.1 The emergence of the ‘Muslim issue’ in British politics
- 9.2 The growth of ‘Londonistan’ and domestic terrorist activity
- 9.3 The impact of 9/11 and 7/7 on British Muslims
- 9.4 How do British Muslims become radicalised?
- 9.5 Managing the myth of Muslim religious extremism
- 10 Security impacts on civil and human rights in Britain
- Conclusion
- References
- Acknowledgements
The lesser evil: Political ethics in an age of terror File
An Interview with Jason Burke File
Predators and parasites File
The opportunity (1) File
Defending the West File
The opportunity (2) File
Security policy in an insecure world File
The collapse of British foreign policy File
History and the hyperpower File
An American foreign policy for a unipolar world File
Mass-mediated terrorism: The central role of the media in terrorism and counter-terrorism File
Shoot first and ask questions later: Media coverage of the 2003 Iraq War File
Manufacturing consent: The political economy of the mass media File
The uncensored war File
What the media are doing to our politics File
Mediatized conflict: Developments in media and conflict studies File
Londonistan File
The impact of 9/11 and 7/7 on British Muslims File
Protecting the citizen in the twenty-first century File
The state and civil liberties in the post-9/11 world File
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