The impact of Jihadist terrorist narratives and how to counter them: a research synthesis
Researchers of political violence have long discussed the importance of narratives as integral components of terrorist groups’ propaganda efforts. In recent years, the focus of this research has centred on narratives produced by jihadi groups like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Much of this work has analysed the thematic elements of jihadi narratives, effectively summarising the narrative content that promotes the adoption of beliefs, attitudes and actions consistent with jihadi ideologies. Terrorism experts have also empirically explored potential counter-messaging strategies that may be useful for effectively challenging the potency of the jihadi narratives. To provide an account of our current understanding of jihadi narratives and efforts to diminish their persuasiveness, this paper offers a synopsis of extant research on these topics. More specifically, this paper outlines (a) empirical work that has explored the thematic content and impact of jihadi narratives, and (b) research geared towards the development of counter-narratives intended to challenge the jihadi ideology.