ISIS … Academic Media or Mass Stupidity

 “Part One”

ISIS organization uses various media like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube. They also manage printed and audio-visual media professionally, with high quality and witty direct, compared to the media of Syrian Revolution or even the international coalition. The organization considers the media as the most important means to attract more fighters, in addition to spread terror in the hearts of its enemies and appear as a strong state.

Who is ISIS audience?

The organization divides its audience spatially into two sections:

Section I: local public, where ISIS addresses them through an internal media network, including platforms of mosques, missionary offices and religious festivals held within its controlled areas. So ISIS depends on religious guidance in its internal speech, despite of the errors which permeates this speech.

Section II: external audience, where ISIS addresses them by international media, in order to direct its message to both lives outside the boundaries of its caliphate, using the world’s most important languages ​​”Arabic and English.”

The organization also divides its audience into two categories from sectional side:

Youth category: between the ages of 15 and 30 years, which is more available category in social media, and the most affected by ISIS propaganda, through showing that the young people who have a clear ideology and specific goals and able to use the types of sophisticated arms.

Women category: where ISIS targets them through a religious speech,  to lure them to the land of caliphate, in order to use them in the upbringing of a new generation of “Mujahideen”,  like as mentioned in a book released by the organization in English, entitled “The Role of Sister in jihad”. ISIS also uses women to do missionary and combat operations, where “Khansa battalion” in the city of Raqqa is a good example,

Mask:

All ISIS members appears wearing a mask, not only for security reasons but also to confer a kind of mystery to its media. In order to show its members as only a representatives of the “state of Islam”, away from the personal glories in a real application of the principle of “loyalty and disavowal”.

What is the means of ISIS media?

ISIS Media divides into two parts:

First: The Main Media

 This part is represented by the audio-visual media of the organization, such as:

– Ajnad Channel, which the organization depends primarily on it to produce films and audio sections. Where its stuff is provided with the latest tools and advanced techniques in the field of sound and image, in addition to mobile vehicles for outside filming.

– Furqan Channel, which owned by Al-Qaeda before it moved in favor of ISIS, after the announcement of its formation. It is considered the second media arm of the organization to spread its ideology and propaganda videos. ISIS depends on it in the filming of executions for non-Syrians, due to the great experience owned by its employees in montage processes.

– A’tesam Channel, which owns many reporters inside Syria, Iraq and Libya, who covers the news of battles by video and audio transmitted via this channel.

– Hayat Channel, which allocated by ISIS to conduct TV dialogues with the leaders of the organization. It based on making montage processes for videos professionally, which has been recently used by the organization within the clip filmed for the slaughter of Egyptian Copts.

– Media offices among states, which is a geared channels for areas dominated by the organization inside Iraq and Syria.

– Bayan Radio, which is broadcasted inside Mosul, Anbar, Raqqa and on the Internet. Where it broadcasts Quran and jihadist anthems, in addition to some spirited news aimed at provoking enthusiasm of fighters. It has been described as addressed to the organization fighters directly. 

– Dabiq Magazine, which is released as a magazine without specific timing. It is published in four languages and has been translated into 12 other languages. It is distributed inside America and Europe, but it is not distributed within ISIS controlled areas. It also was recently available on Amazon website for a price of $ 12, which is one of the most famous websites of marketing.

Second: Advocacy Media

Which is a group of media networks and pages run by supporters of the organization from around the world on social media networks like Facebook and Twitter. these pages are estimated around 90 thousand account, such as the page of “Turjoman Alasawerti”, run by people were recruited for this job in order to transmit the organization messages.

A recent study suggests that those volunteers have several missions, including:

1- Publishing the statements issued by the organization.

2- Follow-up the news about ISIS on various websites and newspapers around the world.

3- Respond to the offensive campaigns against ISIS and its leaders.

4- Analyze the reactions accompanying to the publishing of video clips of the organization.

The study revealed also that the volunteers in that pages are from several countries such as Tunisia, Sudan, Britain, Germany, Algeria, Nigeria, Somalia and Chad.

Rami Sharif