President Obama is accusing the media of contributing to a climate of fear that makes Americans more afraid of the threat posed by Islamic State terrorists.
During a press conference, Obama repeatedly urged Americans not to be afraid of terrorism, and spoke directly to reporters.
“The media needs to help in this,” he said, admitting that it has been a “difficult week,” with the threat posed by ISIS becoming a primary focus in the media.
“One of the things that has to happen is how we report on this has to maintain perspective, and not empower in any way these terrorist organizations or elevate them in ways that make it easier for them to recruit or make them stronger,” he said.
Part of the “perspective” that Obama emphasized to reporters was that terrorism only made up a small fraction of the larger human population.
“Our way of life is stronger. We have more to offer – we represent 99.9 percent of humanity,” he said. “And that’s why we should be confident that we’ll win.”