Rise & fall of ISIS propaganda

Takfiri organizations have banked on direct communication using simple technology like cassette tapes, video, and publications, which were distributed by hand to recruit the people who wanted to join them. However, things have changed a little with the rise of al-Qaeda, which has paid much attention to satellite channels and the Internet in its early stage.

ISIS has been the most effective of all takfiri organizations in terms of using the global media, which are indirect instruments, but effective in the promotion of its ideas. Unlike al-Qaeda, ISIS leads a strict policy in terms of the media as it sets exactly how and where it promotes the organization.

ISIS has a media entity without headquarters It is a virtual entity that is primarily present on the cyberspace. Some people call it the communications ministry of ISIS.  ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has earmarked around $1 million to launch this sort of ministry, which organizes the appearance of ISIS fighters in the media.

This is not confined to traditional media, but it extends to modern media. It shows itself distinctively via symbols such as black banners, its costumes face covers, which are the characteristics of the organization.

ISIS, aka Daesh, knows very well what an Internet user wants and work on fulfilling these needs in a way that would control the user’s mindset and desires,. For instance, an individual who loves courageous actions would get what he wants, and a person who likes control would also find what he seeks.  

Daesh also uses the media as a kind of psychological warfare. It regularly posts images of horrific violence and destruction in order to stoke fear among its enemies. ISIS has made military gains through this strategy.

Despite the organization's growing interest in the media, it has not been successful in carrying out its media message on a regular basis. There are a number of indications for that.

In 2015, ISIS had around 38 state-of-the-art media production offices, stretching geographically from West Africa to eastern Afghanistan. However, as of 2016, the organization’s media capacity gradually began to decline.

The focus has been on Twitter, with 200 special events for the so-called "Caliphate State" being tweeted per week. By December 2017, the organization's media outlets hardly produced 25 tweets per week.

The organization’s media platforms have recently started to re-post old media productions. There have been no new posts.

Daesh is trying to save its media reputation by lying. The organization’s newspaper Al-Naba , in its edition No.156, said that ISIS had carried out 67 operations, killing 205 people in one week. However, Egypt's Dar al-Iftaa observatory dismissed these allegations, citing that ISIS carried out only three attacks.

Despite the consecutive failures in propaganda, the international community has not succeeded in challenging ISIS in the media arena for a number of reasons: the use of sophisticated social media, which cannot be controlled, and some other modern methods such as the discourse and films.

That requires a strong global media tactic, enabling countries worldwide to face such risks in the future, especially as the reemergence of such a takfiri organization is rather possible.