Reading done on December 12 2017
"ISIS Fighters and Their Friends Are Total Social Media Pros"
- by Alice Speri - June 17 2014
- Vice News
Similar to J.M. Berger's article,in this article Alice Speri (2014) claims that ISIS uses "Twitter like the most social media-savvy marketing company". Speri (2014) also states that ISIS carefully crafts its "official" Twitter messages reaching its network and boosting its Twitter presence along with the buzz and volume of its fans who share content globally.
Abu Bakr al Janabi, a prolific ISIS supporter who often translates and distributes ISIS's messages, told VICE News that [t]here are different types of ISIS divisions on social media: the ISIS official media account, which publishes all its video releases, ISIS province accounts, which publish live feed info and pictures, the ISIS mujahideen accounts, where fighters talk about their experience and daily life, and ISIS supporters, who counter Western, Shia, and tyrants' propaganda and lies" (as quoted in Speri 2014).
"Social media is good for building a network of connections and recruitment," he added. "Fighters talk about experiences in battle and encourage people to rise, and supporters defend and translate ISIS statements."
Speri (2014) claims that this "controlled central message but a diversity of voices" approach — seems to have worked well.
According to Speri (2014), Dinah Alobeid, a spokesperson for social analytics company Brandwatch, told VICE News that "While it's been reported by the media that the group is using their app to overinflate their reach, it has definitely
sparked online recognition of the group and now its social media strategies. Whether or not their social media presence is exactly reflective of their numbers and power, ISIS has commandeered a great deal of online space" (as quoted in Speri 2014), and that "From a marketing perspective, it's obvious ISIS has a calculated approach to social media that looks to recruit new members and connect interested individuals to create a united front. They are positioning themselves as a transparent entity that shares news and updates for their cause" (as quoted in Speri 2014).
She also refers to Aymenn Al-Tamimi, a fellow at the Middle East Forum who has closely followed Syria's militant groups on social media, who told VICE News that "Advertising themselves openly has a great advantage in terms of gaining them prominence and potential outside support, particularly with the building of this state that they are constructing in their territory" (as quoted in Speri 2014).
Al-Tamimi claims that the official Twitter accounts are under centralized management but there are also "the fan boys," who he claims that they reflect more "the side of ISIS that is less open to things like compromise with other groups, that is a lot more partisan" (as quoted in Speri 2014).
ISIS members do also share pictures of their daily lives through selfies, food pictures, and vintage filters (Speri 2014). ISIS member also show commodities available. These posts do not come from ISIS official media; these are shared by ISIS fighters who advertise the luxuries they enjoy in order to attract people (Al-Tamimi in Speri 2014).