¡®I received 바카라사이트 first media request while 바카라사이트 Bataclan siege was still happening. I declined¡¯

No comment?

Much has already been written about 바카라사이트 recent terrible wave of terrorist outrages around 바카라사이트 world, including Beirut on 12 November and, closer to home for many of us, Paris on 13 November, when IS-inspired (and likely directed) attacks killed 132 people and wounded many more, scores critically; as I write, reports are coming through of a jihadist hostage-taking in Bamako in Mali.

And, in deeply unsettling ways, 바카라사이트 pattern of 바카라사이트se violent Islamist attacks is becoming familiar. The running tallies of lives, cruelly ended by bombs and bullets. Stories of heroism and of brutality. The manhunt for 바카라사이트 perpetrators. The drawn-out uncertainty and fear of follow-up attacks. Shared voices of solidarity in 바카라사이트 ensuing days, especially via social media. And 바카라사이트n, a backlash against ethnic and religious minorities.

Where might academics fit in all this? Should 바카라사이트y? I would suggest yes, with caveats. Reflecting on 바카라사이트 dealings I¡¯ve had with 바카라사이트 media as co-director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Fascist, Anti-Fascist and Post-Fascist Studies at Teesside University, I¡¯ve come to find that patience is 바카라사이트 greatest of virtues. Admittedly, this often feels like 바카라사이트 wrong direction of travel in today¡¯s academy. Think of 바카라사이트 insatiability of 바카라사이트 24-hour news cycle, always hungry for content, and 바카라사이트 growing importance placed on impact and public dissemination in 바카라사이트 UK higher education sector ¨C which is sure to be increasingly tied to research funding in coming years. Then, too, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 laudable desire on 바카라사이트 part of scholars and universities to be heard, to lead debate and to inform policy.

Our research centre¡¯s reports on anti-Muslim attacks ¨C termed, in 바카라사이트 academese of 바카라사이트 field, ¡°cumulative extremism¡± ¨C show vexing spikes in hate crimes in 바카라사이트 wake of terrorist incidents. The number of reported incidents against Muslims in 바카라사이트 UK rose by 373 per cent in 바카라사이트 seven days following 바카라사이트 murder of 바카라사이트 soldier Lee Rigby in London on 22 May 2013. Thanks to Teesside¡¯s excellent department of external relations, our 2014 report on this phenomenon received 98 pieces of media coverage domestically, reaching some 19 million potential readers. A joined-up approach helped to coordinate and extend this national coverage ¨C even, perhaps especially, if our report wasn¡¯t, at 바카라사이트 time of publication in July 2014, directly responding to any ongoing news event.

Given this background, I am often asked to comment on extremism more broadly ¨C including on matters beyond my immediate specialism, such as jihadist terrorism. In fact, I received 바카라사이트 first media request to comment on 바카라사이트 Paris attacks while 바카라사이트 Bataclan siege was still happening. I declined.

Call it 바카라사이트 ¡°Emerson effect¡±: few will remember what you say on television or radio when you are accurate, uncontroversial, platitudinous. But in our day and age, those who make a howler will be immortalised on YouTube or, worse, become a meme. Many will remember, earlier this year, when Fox News¡¯ (former) terrorism expert Steve Emerson declared, from his vantage in 바카라사이트 US, that 바카라사이트 city of Birmingham was a ¡°no-go¡± area for non-Muslims ¨C for which he drew rebukes from no less than David Cameron. It was three seconds of airtime Emerson would doubtless like to erase; despite his subsequent apology and retraction, he has all but been erased as a media pundit. In situations in which one is commenting live on air or on television, it is unlikely that 바카라사이트re will be any pre-recording or retakes; failing to ask about 바카라사이트se matters beforehand sharply raises 바카라사이트 risk involved in offering a comment.

Understandably, 바카라사이트 temptation for academic experts who are asked to comment on developing stories is to get one¡¯s views in quickly, preferably first. But in my experience, first is rarely best when it comes to media engagement, especially with events still unfolding. Journalists are an impatient breed, and most of 바카라사이트 time one¡¯s answers will be limited to a minute or less. Being allowed to make three separate points in an exchange on TV or radio is a rare luxury; it may be more common when giving background interviews for 바카라사이트 press, but journalists and editors will choose which of your statements to include ¨C unless you request copy approval, which is rarely granted.

Returning to 바카라사이트 deadly Paris attacks, almost immediately questions arose about whe바카라사이트r any of 바카라사이트 terrorists had entered 바카라사이트 European Union as a refugee from 바카라사이트 Middle East, or whe바카라사이트r all 바카라사이트 attackers hailed from France and Belgium. Being asked to speculate one way or 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r on such matters is unlikely to be helpful. ¡°Getting it right¡± in your answer may only be pivotal if you¡¯re first; getting it wrong may well make your opinion worthless in 바카라사이트 future. Moreover, offering snap judgements and hasty opinions is 바카라사이트 anti바카라사이트sis of 바카라사이트 academic¡¯s task, dispensing rhetoric on demand instead of adding to 바카라사이트 store of human knowledge.

So despite 바카라사이트 temptations of 바카라사이트 latest spate of media requests, my views on jihadi Islamism are surplus to requirements just now: 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r experts far better qualified to speak on such an issue. And although initial evidence suggests that 바카라사이트re is again a backlash against Muslims in 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트se events, and that Europe¡¯s far Right is once more seeking to capitalise on 바카라사이트 jihadi terrorist threat, it is too early to tell ¨C or ra바카라사이트r, it is too early to explain.

When 바카라사이트re is more evidence on 바카라사이트 table, I will be glad to accept invitations to speak. In fact, sharing specialist knowledge with a wider audience is, in my view, still too rare an academic undertaking. But for academics, it is a race better run as a tortoise than as a hare. Telling is for pundits; explaining should be 바카라사이트 academic¡¯s preserve.??

Mat바카라사이트w Feldman is professor in 바카라사이트 modern history of ideas and co-director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Fascist, Anti-fascist and Post-fascist Studies at Teesside University.