MODERN COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA ENABLE TERRORISTS TO SEIZE THE ATTENTION OF MILLIONS OF PERSONS, THEREBY EXTENDING THEIR REALM OF TERROR AND INFLUENCE PAST THOSE HOSTAGES WITHIN THE RANGE OF THEIR WEAPONS. TO SOME EXTENT, TERRORISTS PERCEIVE THAT FOR THEM NORMAL MEANS OF COMMUNICATION HAVE BEEN INEFFECTIVE, AND THEN RESORT TO VIOLENCE AS AN ALTERNATIVE. TERRORISTS' BEHAVIOR MANIFESTS GROUP LOYALTY AND ETHNOCENTRISM WHICH MAY NOT BE AS GOAL-DIRECTED AS IT PROPORTS TO BE. WHILE CLEARLY INHUMAN IN ITS METHODS, TERRORISM MAY SERVE THE HUMAN NEED FOR SOCIAL REASSURANCE, ESPECIALLY IN DEPRIVED GROUPS. IF THIS IS TRUE, INCREASES IN DEPRIVATION AMONG WHOLE SOCIAL GROUPS WOULD FORETELL AN INCREASE IN TERRORIST ACTIVITY. ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS, COLLECTIVE LOSS OF FAITH, AND UNFULFILLED EXPECTATIONS WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE MALAISE. MEDIA PUBLICITY OF TERRORISM REINFORCES TERRORIST TENDENCIES IN PERSONS WHO ARE ORIENTED TOWARDS OPEN EXPRESSION OF DESIRES. THE SOCIAL CONSTRAINTS AGAINST VIOLENCE, HOWEVER, MAKE TERRORISM A RELATIVELY MINOR PROBLEM WHICH DOES NOT WARRANT MEDIA CENSORSHIP. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)