Al-Awlaki’s mastery of media skills, among his other talents, helped him emerge as a leader; most notable is his manipulation of Western media outlets, as early as 2001 – among them NPR, PBS and The New York Times, which chose to interview him in their efforts to learn about moderate Islam. He was frequently quoted by these media outlets, and was called a “bridge builder between Islam and the West.”[1] The Baltimore Sun even depicted him as hip and media savvy, saying, “Al-Awlaki bridges the two worlds as easily as he shifts from lecturing on the lives of the prophets to tapping phone numbers into his Palm Pilot.”[2]

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