ISIS media strategy fuels global radicalization, New York Times reports
The New York Times report has written how ISIS, despite losing its physical territory, keeps a centralized and highly effective media apparatus.
Jan. 4, 2025
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – According to a report by The New York Times, the Islamic State (ISIS) continues to radicalize individuals around the world via a sophisticated media strategy, even after the fall of its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria.
This media outreach plays a key role in encouraging acts of terrorism, including the tragic New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans.
On January 1, Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar drove a vehicle into a crowd, killing at least 14 people.
Authorities confirmed that Jabbar was inspired by ISIS propaganda. However, the authorities also said that there was no evidence of an active connection between him and the terrorist group.
The FBI detailed, “he was 100 percent inspired by ISIS,” underscoring the influence of the group’s media operations.
Before the attack, Jabbar posted videos pledging allegiance to ISIS and displayed the group’s flag on his vehicle, emulating imagery from ISIS campaigns that encourage such acts of violence.
Read More: U.S. Reaffirms Continued Fight against ISIS
A Sophisticated Media Operation
The New York Times report has written how ISIS, despite losing its physical territory, keeps a centralized and highly effective media apparatus.
As the report suggested, this operation is influential in unifying its global branches and influencing “lone wolf” attackers like Jabbar. Much of the group’s media output comes from affiliates in Africa, which have seen a spike in activity in recent years.
According to the New York Times report, one keystone of this media operation is the weekly newsletter Al Naba (The News), published online every Thursday.
The newsletter records ISIS attacks globally, delivers editorial content, and indirectly inspires followers to commit acts of violence.
Cole Bunzel, a scholar at Stanford University, described the newsletter to the New York Times as a vital tool for keeping the group’s global support base, stressing its consistency and professionalism.
Primarily circulated on platforms like Telegram, Al Naba has adjusted to elude shutdowns by migrating to decentralized tools and the dark web.
According to Aaron Zelin, a fellow at the Washington Institute who spoke with the New York Times, the group’s followers also use ordinary platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, generating new accounts whenever old ones are blocked.
Social Media and Algorithms
Experts cited in The New York Times argue that ISIS has significantly benefited from social media algorithms intended to maximize user engagement.
Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director at the Counter Extremism Project, pointed out to the New York Times that these algorithms every so often drive susceptible individuals deeper into extremist content, unintentionally aiding radicalization.
“Terror groups don’t have to make a ton of effort to radicalize people anymore; the algorithm does it for them,” Schindler said.
He urged for sterner regulation of social media platforms, asking why tech companies have not done more to help security agencies in thwarting such attacks.
Challenges in Syria and Beyond
The New York Times report also indicated potential ISIS’s resurgence in Syria, where it has increased its attacks after the recent ousting of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime by another extremist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
While HTS has voiced interest in taking control of ISIS prisoners and their families from the Kurdish-led Syrian Defense Force (SDF), experts remain unconvinced about its capability to muffle and quash ISIS effectively.
ISIS has lately renewed its “Breaking the Walls” campaign, calling for its captive fighters to escape and free their families.
Aaron Zelin cautioned that such developments could lead to a “disaster” if successful, further threatening the region.
Despite its territorial losses, ISIS’s ability to influence and organize through its media strategy underlines the ongoing global threat it poses.
As the New York Times report concludes, fighting this threat needs a concentrated effort from governments, tech companies, and international organizations to knock down the group’s propaganda apparatus and disrupt its global influence.
