Location
Schewel Hall Room 231
Access Type
Event
Event Website
http://www.lynchburg.edu/academics/red-letter-day/student-scholar-showcase/
Entry Number
130
Start Date
4-6-2016 2:45 PM
End Date
4-6-2016 3:00 PM
Abstract
The use of social media in terrorist organizations is incredibly high due to global advancements in technology. Through the advent of personal forms of social media, terrorists are able to instill fear globally and have a heightened ability to promulgate their ideologies. I contend that the use of media by two terrorist organizations, ISIS and Al-Shabaab, is crucial for their survival and the successful projection of their goals. Testing Martha Crenshaw’s argument that those who engage in terrorism aren’t psychologically damaged but rationally choose their strategy, I discuss diverse forms of media and campaign tactics used to manipulate media as an ideological and recruitment tool. This is augmented by research on the historical/ideological background of both organizations. Recognizing the importance of media in these groups helps explain how modern terrorist groups draw in masses of recruits, why their doctrines are known worldwide, and how media propels radical propaganda. As the fear of global terrorism increases, the role “electronic jihad” plays is crucial for the success of terrorism – what Crenshaw calls “the weapon of the weak.” Therefore, understanding how to combat this electronic exploitation through a new form of 21st-century counterterrorism is vital for governments and social media administrators, alike.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Marek Payerhin
The Electronic Jihad: An Analysis of the Role of Media in Terrorist Organizations
Schewel Hall Room 231
The use of social media in terrorist organizations is incredibly high due to global advancements in technology. Through the advent of personal forms of social media, terrorists are able to instill fear globally and have a heightened ability to promulgate their ideologies. I contend that the use of media by two terrorist organizations, ISIS and Al-Shabaab, is crucial for their survival and the successful projection of their goals. Testing Martha Crenshaw’s argument that those who engage in terrorism aren’t psychologically damaged but rationally choose their strategy, I discuss diverse forms of media and campaign tactics used to manipulate media as an ideological and recruitment tool. This is augmented by research on the historical/ideological background of both organizations. Recognizing the importance of media in these groups helps explain how modern terrorist groups draw in masses of recruits, why their doctrines are known worldwide, and how media propels radical propaganda. As the fear of global terrorism increases, the role “electronic jihad” plays is crucial for the success of terrorism – what Crenshaw calls “the weapon of the weak.” Therefore, understanding how to combat this electronic exploitation through a new form of 21st-century counterterrorism is vital for governments and social media administrators, alike.
https://digitalshowcase.lynchburg.edu/studentshowcase/2017/presentations/101