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People’s attitudes and behaviour are influenced by their perception of Others and by their expectations towards them, with particular reference to: the socio-cultural context of belonging; the values of reference that are ascribed to the Others; and the pre-existing relationships between the two parties. These dynamics are strongly influenced by the information conveyed by the media, in their dual role of mediators of reality and opinion leaders. In turn, this information often becomes a “distorted reflection” of reality. The latter aspect is particularly relevant if we consider the media’s ability to offer its public social representations on which people base and restructure their interactions and social actions. The news about terrorist attacks by variously organized groups, or on massacres committed by individuals in murderous rages, often act as a sounding board for social issues, such as crime, protection, and the safety of individuals and communities. These issues, when considered in their entirety, may give rise to so-called “moral panics”, i.e. situations of general alarm. As a supporting example, this paper compares the “representations” offered by some of the main European national newspapers of some events associated with the phenomenon of terrorism.
