Updating P/CVE Strategic Communications: Conflict – competition dynamics and centrifugal effects of extremists narratives

• In Event: Interdisciplinary approaches to radicalization, political violence and the relations between terrorism and crime to advance P/CVE

Abstract

Extremist groups frequently exploit societal fears and uncertainties, framing minorities as threats to social, economic, political or cultural issues. Within the ever evolving technological advances, extremist groups create and share content that is designed to go viral, reaching a broad audience quickly as a means to advance their extremist agendas and recruit new members. Through different communication strategies, extremists attempt to insert their narratives into mainstream political and social discourse to manipulate public opinion increasing societal polarisation and paving the way for further radicalisation, also fostering hate speech and hate crimes and violent manifestations both online and offline. In response, strategic communications are gaining momentum in recent years aimed to identify P/CVE communication responses to address these threats in the communications ecosystem. However, more evidence on the effects that extremist narratives as well as strategic communications responses have in audiences is needed. This paper is the result of a comprehensive research conducted using OSINT tools to compile and analyse the narratives of extremist groups in three case studies: the first case study explores Casapound group narratives about Italian public policies concerning housing and the treatment towards ethnic minorities and migrants, including asylum seekers and refugees; the second case study analyses extremist narratives against minorities of the group Group, Union, Défense (GUD) on the pension law reform in France; the third case study analyses the falangist groups narratives against minorities around the Spanish foreign policy on Morocco and the Sahara. The results of this research present new insights on how strategic communications need to be designed in order to reach the specific preventive objective.

Authors

• Javier Ruipérez Canales, The Euro-Arab Foundation and University of Granada

• Antonio Sanchez Ortega, The University of Granada and CEMIX Joint Centre University of Granada - Army Training and Doctrine Command