Terrorism is attracting a great deal of attention in the national and international media, and is now becoming the subject of scientific discourse in a number of academic and practice disciplines. Formerly, most studies were undertaken on convicted terrorists, under some level of secrecy, for fear that public disclosure might compromise counter-terrorism efforts; the data might be seen as sensitive or restricted to a small number of actors. This makes it difficult for the public to appreciate the reasoning for public measures that aim to prevent radicalisation and terrorism.

Media reporting of many recent incidents focuses largely on religious rhetoric that is expressed in order to justify political aspirations, including establishing a new state, challenging perceived discrimination and international foreign policies, which are seen to attack or target particular religious groups or communities.