Have you seen this? A Cotent Analysis of Terrorist Videos on the Internet

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

In the past decade, extremist and terrorist groups have established considerable presences on-line. In addition to maintaining their own websites, these groups are increasingly utilizing popular sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. In fact, the internet has become central to many groups’ propagandizing, radicalization, and recruitment efforts. But while it is clear that these groups are embracing the strategic advantages afforded by the internet, there have been few systematic efforts to analyze the content of postings attributed to terrorist groups. Recent research has begun to address this lacuna, but more work needs to be done. This is particularly true of efforts to study video content. The objective of the current study is to present a content analysis of terrorist-related videos on the internet. It describes the nature of these videos, develops themes, and situates these themes in relation to the broader strategic aim of terrorist groups.

Authors

• Christine Neudecker, Simon Fraser University

• Garth Davies, Simon Fraser University