The media discourse of ISIS and its intellectual motives. Content analysis of its media and intellectual discourse in the post-Baghdadi era
This paper attempt to identify the main elements underlying the current media discourse of the ISIS, know its own tactical and strategic direction, and clarify the goals that it seeks to achieve through it, by analyzing its output in the post-Baghdadi stage.
The importance of following up on monitoring the media discourse of ISIS comes from being one of the important tools IS uses to mobilize and publicize its ideas and practices and to address its followers. The decline of IS as a result of the campaigns launched by the international coalition against it had the greatest impact on the decline of its resources and capabilities, especially in the post-al-Baghdadi era. This was also reflected in its media capabilities, which became meager compared to the past, especially in terms of means and tools. However, the content remained solid and consistent with IS previous narrative.
ISIS media content focuses on trying to mobilize its followers, maintaining them, entice them with the organization and alienate them from its competitors. It focuses on betraying all its opponents and dropping their legitimacy, and on the discourse of victimhood that characterizes the stage of “vulnerable or weakness” it is currently going through and worked on previously before “empowerment” or “Altamkin” at the height of its ascent, and in order to mobilize its human resources which are its backbone Its rhetoric varies between agitation, intimidation and general directives. It also tries to raise the morale of its fighters and supporters by celebrating the intelligence and media reports that speak of the possibility of its return. Providing it’s with the human resources in its thought tanks and factories (prisons), by repeating the call to storm prisons and “freeing prisoners.”
The organization’s media discourse is affected by intellectual arguments and internal conflicts between its wings, such as the conflict between the military and security authority from the hardcore on the one hand, and the legitimate religious authorities on the other hand; This contributed to the increase in internal divisions and conflicts and was reflected in the media by more hardening and extremism of the media discourse in the attack on violators and dissidents.
To read the paper (Arabic): http://sydialogue.org/go97
مؤسسة بحثية سورية تسعى إلى الإسهام في بناء الرؤى والمعارف بما يساعد السوريين على إنضاج حلول عملية لمواجهة التحديات الوطنية المشتركة وتحقيق التنمية المستدامة
