SYMBOLISM BEHIND ATTACKS -- Tuesday's attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., were rife with symbolism, says an expert on international security. "The World Trade Center is an icon of American financial markets and the American way of life, while the Pentagon is representative of the defense industry and foreign policy. These are very powerful representations," says Patricia Weitsman, associate professor of political science at Ohio University. Weitsman was a visiting scholar at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University last year.

The mastermind behind the deadly attacks accomplished his purpose. "Whoever planned this must be very excited," Weitsman says. "The whole idea behind terrorism is to instill fear and heighten the sense of vulnerability. These attacks brought the country to a virtual standstill."

Weitsman is uncertain if the culprit will admit to the terrorist acts. "I think that whoever is responsible would want to claim credit. At the same time, there is no doubt that the U.S. vengeance will be strong."

CHANGING TIMES -- Ohio University Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science Symeon A. Giannakos feels that Tuesday's terrorist attacks were a sign of a need for change. "These acts of terror are a message of changes taking place in the world," Giannakos says. "We need to rethink our entire approach to politics. It seems like a new trend has started and the world needs to start brand new thinking about how it operates."

"These terrorist acts took a lot of organization and a lot of commitment from people who were willing to kill themselves for a cause they obviously felt passionate about," Giannakos said. "These attacks suggest that there are many things wrong in many, many places."

Giannakos teaches courses in international relations, nationalism, ethnic conflict, conflict resolution and ethics and international affairs. His primary research area is national identity and conflict. Giannakos has written articles for journals such as the Mediterranean Quarterly and the Journal of Southeast Europe and the Balkans and is the editor of Ethnic Conflict: Religion, Identity and Politics.

GRADING MEDIA COVERAGE -- The media earn passing marks from a prominent journalism scholar for their coverage of the Sept. 11 tragedies. "To this point, the media have generally performed at a high level," says Michael Real, director of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. "They have shown an admirable combination of searching for the facts with a minimum of rumors, restraint in portraying the tragedy and its scale and caution against targeting ethnic or religious groups for hatred or retaliation."

The news media actually serve an important ritual function in tragedies of this magnitude. "The media serve to bring people together, reassure the public and provide a shared activity through which people can begin to come to terms with the tragedy," Real explains.

"Media coverage plays a large role in the emotional responses of individuals. If overdone, the repeat playing of the most powerful scenes, namely of the twin towers being hit and then collapsing, may not just inform the public but possibly either desensitize or fixate individuals, depending on their personality predispositions," Real says.

Real has been interviewed extensively on media performance in crises, especially after the Columbine High School killings.

FOCUSING ON TRAUMA -- Those recording traumatic events such as Tuesday's tragedies often feel detached from the situation, at least for the moment. "Mentally, you are removed from the situation. The camera almost becomes a psychological shield," says Larry Nighswander, director of Ohio University's School for Visual Communications. "Photographers tend to look through the viewfinder and have a false sense of protection."

The numbing effect wears off after the drama. "You don't feel the pain until later. Many journalists suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome," Nighswander says.

Those carrying cameras play a role in making sense of the confusion. "These are terrible events and very difficult to comprehend. Without photographers recording the event, we'd all be lost and even more confused," he says.

DISCUSSING EVENTS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE -- Tom Davis, program coordinator of counselor education at Ohio University, is an expert in counselor education and is qualified to speak about how to talk to young people about Tuesday's tragic events. He has been a counselor educator at Ohio University for the past 16 years. He is also a former school counselor and a former mental health/ drug and alcohol counselor working with children and adolescences. His most current scholarly work has been in the area of brief and solution-focused counseling with youth.