Terrorism has become not merely a political act, but a carefully designed and rhetorically sophisticated attempt at communication. What role should the communication scholar play in the investigation of terrorism? Specifically, there are six areas within which the communication scholar may actively contribute to an understanding of terrorism as communication: (1) mass media, (2) applied communication, (3) small group/interpersonal communication, (4) rhetoric, (5) intercultural communication, and (6) the ethics of communication. Impact of terrorist coverage upon the general audience, and impact on other terrorists must be considered. Research may indicate that audiences are incited to panic or that other terrorists are incited to further violence. Small group and interpersonal communication research is needed to study the relationship between hostages, terrorists, and mediators and to determine options available in negotiations. Terrorism occurring in other countries, but which is aimed at audiences in the United States, presents peculiar problems to scholars in intercultural communication. Finally, the morality of media coverage of terrorist violence and self or government regulation is an area of discussion wide open to contribution by communication research. (HTH)