Journal Articles by Benjamin K Smith
International Journal of Communication, 2020
We examine how and why al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria have come to dominate di... more We examine how and why al-Qa'ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria have come to dominate discourse of the international terrorist threat in the post-9/11 era, through their emergence as the primary referents for understanding terrorism, the organizations that employ it, and the actions taken to combat it. We propose a simple mechanism-based on relevance theory-wherein a given actor might attain and sustain a socially shared understanding, allowing them to function as symbolic referents in media discourse. In Study 1, we address the plausibility of this mechanism, using computer-assisted linguistic analysis to assess coverage of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in The New York Times and Wall Street Journal from 1996 to 2017. In Study 2, we conduct an inductive framing analysis aimed at identifying unique and commonly reoccurring applications of framing packages relying on known actors as framing devices. We conclude by discussing implications of these practices.
Critical Studies on Terrorism, 2018
This article explores the construction of extremism in media discourse, the factors driving speci... more This article explores the construction of extremism in media discourse, the factors driving specific constructions and the implications of these constructions for counterterrorism policy. We contend that extremism has predominantly and increasingly been framed as a security issue. This article explores the implications of this practice through the framework of securitisation. We measure the average intensity of security framing in 38,616 articles found in three major US newspapers, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times, between 20 January 1993 and 19 January 2017 comprising the Clinton, Bush and Obama presidencies, and look at factors influencing the shift in intensity over time. Through our analysis, we show that it is possible to return to a pre- 9/11 discourse but that the confluence of real-world events and the strategic choices of political actors have so far prevented this from fully occurring. We then explore the effect of securitization on public perceptions of the threat from terrorism, finding that increases in the intensity of security framing artificially increases the public’s worry about becoming a victim of terrorism. We conclude by discussing implications for the communication of counterterrorism policy and the requirements for an after, after 9/11 approach
Public Opinion Quarterly, 2017
This study seeks to improve election forecasting by supplementing polling data with online inform... more This study seeks to improve election forecasting by supplementing polling data with online information-seeking behavior trends as an indicator of public opinion. Aggregate trends of demonstrations of interest or engagement have been shown to accurately predict behavior trends and reflect public opinion. Further, because traditional poll-based predictions are inherently undermined by self-reporting biases and the intention-behavior disconnect, we can expect that information-seeking trends on widely used social media—as an autonomous and unobtrusive indicator of relative levels of public opinion—can help correct for some of this error and explain unique, additional variance in election results. We advance the literature by using data from Wikipedia pageviews along with polling data in a synthesized model based on the results of the 2008, 2010, and 2012 US Senate general elections. Results show that Wikipedia pageviews data significantly add to the ability of poll-and fundamentals-based projections to predict election results up to 28 weeks prior to Election Day, and benefit predictions most at those early points, when poll-based predictions are weakest.
Public Understanding of Science, 2016
Since 2000, the UK government has funded surveys aimed at understanding the UK public's attitudes... more Since 2000, the UK government has funded surveys aimed at understanding the UK public's attitudes toward science, scientists, and science policy. Known as the Public Attitudes to Science series, these surveys and their predecessors have long been used in UK science communication policy, practice, and scholarship as a source of authoritative knowledge about science-related attitudes and behaviors. Given their importance and the significant public funding investment they represent, detailed academic scrutiny of the studies is needed. In this essay, we critically review the most recently published Public Attitudes to Science survey (2014), assessing the robustness of its methods and claims. The review casts doubt on the quality of key elements of the Public Attitudes to Science 2014 survey data and analysis while highlighting the importance of robust quantitative social research methodology. Our analysis comparing the main sample and booster sample for young people demonstrates that quota sampling cannot be assumed equivalent to probability-based sampling techniques.
Perspectives on Terrorism, 2016
The actual structures and motivations of terrorist organizations like Daesh (aka. IS, ISIS, ISIL)... more The actual structures and motivations of terrorist organizations like Daesh (aka. IS, ISIS, ISIL) are often invisible to the general public, and given their clandestine nature, often opaque to all external actors (including governments, militaries, and others). For the general public, the 'picture' of terrorism and terrorist organizations is often painted by the media, with media framing having a direct influence on the American public's understanding of the global terrorist threat, and in turn on the policies and actions the public expects and wants in response. We argue that the central disconnect between the preferences of the American public and the actions of the current administration – a disconnect that we argue did not exist in relation to al Qaeda – can in part be explained by media framing of Daesh. We compare media representations of Daesh, and al Qaeda, with a specific focus on the time period between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2014 and find that Daesh has been framed as an existential threat, derivative of its framing as a singularly motivated militaristic group. Because of this framing, there is an inherent disconnect between public perceptions of the threat posed by Daesh and the response to Daesh being pursued by the Administration.
Chapters by Benjamin K Smith
Constructions of Terrorism: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Research and Policy, 2017
In the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda emerged not only as the specific ... more In the aftermath of the attacks on September 11, 2001, al-Qaeda emerged not only as the specific perpetrator of the act but also as the focus of the “war on terror.” Until 2014 or so, and during the almost decade and a half following 9/11, al-Qaeda did not recede from its perceived position as a primary (if not the primary) international terrorist threat and enemy of the United States. Despite al-Qaeda’s having attained such a strong foothold on how the media and government portrays, and how the American public understands and responds to, the international terrorist threat, several new players have surfaced as potentially problematic enemies (e.g., Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, and most important, Daesh), especially during the past two years. Media coverage of these groups often connects them, either implicitly or explicitly, to al-Qaeda, using al-Qaeda to explain their form and function. As such, it is important to take a critical look at the way al-Qaeda and its actions have been depicted in the media during this ascendant period for other terrorist threats, and to explore the effects and consequences of these portrayals.
Group vitality is a widely invoked construct in the study of minority language maintenance and in... more Group vitality is a widely invoked construct in the study of minority language maintenance and interethnic relations. A large body of empirical research has been conducted within the vitality theory framework that has resulted in several stages of development. Evidence has shown that while the components of objective vitality (demographics, institutional support, status) do not typically manifest themselves as distinct components in the structure of subjective vitality, they do form a single component reflecting the perceived strength of the group. In addition, several other social psychological factors, such as perception of the legitimacy of intergroup relations, the level of ethnocentrism, and perception of intergroup distance, were incorporated into models of subjective vitality. Relatedly, these factors are shaped into group members' discourse of vitality, which is a highly dialogical process of negotiation of subjective vitality of the groups engaged in intergroup contact.
The vitality framework has been usefully invoked beyond ethnolinguistic groups, embracing several intergroup settings including age, gender, and sexual orientation. Vitality, which has provoked some controversy in the literature, has also been widely adopted by very different approaches as an umbrella term to denote the long-term sustainability of a group.
The International Encyclopedia of Communication Theory and Philosophy, 2016
Many domains within the social sciences have become counting disciplines. In these fields, to und... more Many domains within the social sciences have become counting disciplines. In these fields, to understand a phenomenon is to quantify it, to represent both observed and latent qualities through numerical quantities. Yet the process of quantification is not easy or simple: It requires careful thought, planning, and a skeptical mind-set.This entry outlines major features of the quantification process, for example the process of converting qualitative phenomena into numbers, operationalization, and the application of aggregate analysis to individuals. First we provide a simple definition of quantification, then a brief history of quantification in the social sciences. This is followed by a discussion of the appropriate use of quantification, and in turn aggregation, as they apply to social science research. We conclude with two critical case studies that exemplify the misapplication of quantification in the context of rating scales and big data.
Papers by Benjamin K Smith
Author(s): Smith, Benjamin King | Advisor(s): Stohl, Michael | Abstract: In media depictions of t... more Author(s): Smith, Benjamin King | Advisor(s): Stohl, Michael | Abstract: In media depictions of terrorist actors and events, a select few organizations appear to be omnipresent. These dominant terrorist actors (i.e., al Qaeda and ISIS) are frequently used to provide a familiar frame of reference for understanding non-dominant actors (e.g., the New IRA and al Shabaab). In this dissertation, I attempt to answer the question “to what effect,” that is, what are the (potentially unintended) effects of the dominant actor framing device on beliefs about the framed organizations? In answering this question, I also seek to provide a framework for better understanding the framing phenomenon and framing effects writ large. I begin by providing a general overview of what is meant by frames and framing, outline the process wherein frames guide construction and interpretation of discourse products and provide evidence for the use of dominant actors as framing devices in media depictions of non-do...
The actual structures and motivations of terrorist organizations like Daesh (aka. IS, ISIS, ISIL)... more The actual structures and motivations of terrorist organizations like Daesh (aka. IS, ISIS, ISIL) are often invisible to the general public, and given their clandestine nature, often opaque to all external actors (including governments, militaries, and others). For the general public, the ‘picture’ of terrorism and terrorist organizations is often painted by the media, with media framing having a direct influence on the American public’s understanding of the global terrorist threat, and in turn on the policies and actions the public expects and wants in response. We argue that the central disconnect between the preferences of the American public and the actions of the current administration – a disconnect that we argue did not exist in relation to al Qaeda – can in part be explained by media framing of Daesh. We compare media representations of Daesh, and al Qaeda, with a specific focus on the time period between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2014 and find that Daesh has been fra...
The theory of motivated reasoning predicts that partisan cues in the media will affect political ... more The theory of motivated reasoning predicts that partisan cues in the media will affect political attitudes, by encouraging individuals to align their views with those of their party's elites. The effect has primarily been tested by looking at issues that have preestablished partisan positions (e.g. immigration reform, gay rights, etc.). This study looks at the effects of partisan cues in the media on attitudes toward a non-partisan issue, the NSA's collection of Americans' meta-data. Additionally, the study extends research on partisan cues by exploring the moderating role of an individual's political communication network and, specifically, exposure to cross-cutting political communication. Findings are mixed: although there was no main effect of exposure to partisan cues in general, strong partisans were more affected by exposure to partisan cues than weak partisans were. Additionally, although frequency of political discussion was not found to moderate the effect of partisan cues, individuals with high exposure to cross-cutting communication were significantly less affected by partisan cues than those with low exposure to cross-cutting communication. Limitations, implications and future directions are discussed.
Public understanding of science (Bristol, England), Jan 18, 2016
Since 2000, the UK government has funded surveys aimed at understanding the UK public's attit... more Since 2000, the UK government has funded surveys aimed at understanding the UK public's attitudes toward science, scientists, and science policy. Known as the Public Attitudes to Science series, these surveys and their predecessors have long been used in UK science communication policy, practice, and scholarship as a source of authoritative knowledge about science-related attitudes and behaviors. Given their importance and the significant public funding investment they represent, detailed academic scrutiny of the studies is needed. In this essay, we critically review the most recently published Public Attitudes to Science survey (2014), assessing the robustness of its methods and claims. The review casts doubt on the quality of key elements of the Public Attitudes to Science 2014 survey data and analysis while highlighting the importance of robust quantitative social research methodology. Our analysis comparing the main sample and booster sample for young people demonstrates tha...
International Journal of Communication, 2020
We examine how and why al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria have come to dominate di... more We examine how and why al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria have come to dominate discourse of the international terrorist threat in the post-9/11 era, through their emergence as the primary referents for understanding terrorism, the organizations that employ it, and the actions taken to combat it. We propose a simple mechanism—based on relevance theory—wherein a given actor might attain and sustain a socially shared understanding, allowing them to function as symbolic referents in media discourse. In Study 1, we address the plausibility of this mechanism, using computer-assisted linguistic analysis to assess coverage of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in The New York Times and Wall Street Journal from 1996 to 2017. In Study 2, we conduct an inductive framing analysis aimed at identifying unique and commonly reoccurring applications of framing packages relying on known actors as framing devices. We conclude by discussing implications of these practices.
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Journal Articles by Benjamin K Smith
Chapters by Benjamin K Smith
The vitality framework has been usefully invoked beyond ethnolinguistic groups, embracing several intergroup settings including age, gender, and sexual orientation. Vitality, which has provoked some controversy in the literature, has also been widely adopted by very different approaches as an umbrella term to denote the long-term sustainability of a group.
Papers by Benjamin K Smith
The vitality framework has been usefully invoked beyond ethnolinguistic groups, embracing several intergroup settings including age, gender, and sexual orientation. Vitality, which has provoked some controversy in the literature, has also been widely adopted by very different approaches as an umbrella term to denote the long-term sustainability of a group.