Online Trends in Far-Right Extremist Narratives

• In Event: Online Hate and Extremism

Abstract

Far-right extremists are exploiting the internet's communication and networking resources to foster online communities, wherein they may air their political views on everything from white supremacist ideology to immigration policy. Research suggests that far-right ideology is becoming increasingly focused on anti-immigrant sentiment and less so on discussions around race relations specifically. Yet little is known, from a quantitative perspective, about how this dynamic may have unfolded over time online. In this study, we explored how discussions around 'race' and 'immigrants' developed over time on the most high-profile discussion forum of the far-right: Stormfront. The sample included 89,022 posts between 2001 and 2016. The results add empirical support to previous literature, highlighting that Stormfront posters have consistently harboured an overwhelmingly negative attitude toward race and immigrants over the fifteen-year period. Compared to posts about race, the volume of posts pertaining to immigrants and immigration is significantly higher. Further, sentiments surrounding immigrant-related discussions are more negative in nature relative to race-related discussions.

Authors

• Tiana Gaudette, Simon Fraser University

• Garth Davies, Simon Fraser University

• Richard Frank, Simon Fraser University