To the Point
ISIS and the Rise of Social Media Terrorism
The video of reporter James Foley’s beheading is the latest evidence that the ultra-extreme Islamic State has mastered social media. High-quality propaganda, well designed for intended audiences, went viral—matching the most sophisticated campaigns of multinational corporations.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readThe video of reporter James Foley’s beheading is the latest evidence that the ultra-extreme Islamic State has mastered social media. High-quality propaganda, well designed for intended audiences, went viral—matching the most sophisticated campaigns of multinational corporations. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube will be hard-pressed to block such messages in the future—however grotesque they might be. We look at the impact of this technological expertise, how it serves the Islamic State and how it might be combatted.
