PAVE Training Module 2

Section outline

• In response to prolific and successful Internet and social media mediated propaganda campaigns used by extremist and far-right groups around the world, international and intergovernmental organizations, such as the United Nations and the European Union, as well as numerous civil society organizations are increasingly encouraging stakeholders to utilize both alternative and counter narratives as crucial tools in preventing and countering violent extremism. 

  As outlined by a report for the Directorate General for Internal Policies at the European Commission, there are four key trends in current efforts to tackle terrorist propaganda:

  • Disruption of propaganda distribution: The key objective is to interfere with the distribution of propaganda. In short, trying to stop propaganda at the source by preventing it from reaching its target audience. This has focused on taking down propaganda from social media and deleting offending accounts. 
  • Redirect method: Rather than erasing propaganda, this approach seeks to redirect viewers to different messages in an attempt to ‘nudge’ their behavior. Pioneered by Jigsaw and Moonshot CVE tactics, this project redirects those searching for jihadist material to counter messaging.
  • Campaign and message design: These projects seek to provide information and skills to civil society organizations to develop communication campaigns, typically based on counter narrative or alternative narrative approaches. Whilst disruption seeks to stop the spread of propaganda, this approach seeks to enable civil society organizations with the skills to confront and undermine the propaganda. 
  • Government communications and synchronization of message and action: There is a tendency for communication campaigns to be designed in a vacuum, disconnected from events in real life. Synchronization approaches take a comprehensive perspective and aim to link messages and actions, and to coordinate messaging across government and with international partners. The strength of these approaches is to prevent the undermining of a narrative by exposing its ‘say-do-gap’, through ensuring message and actions are aligned, and through limiting contradictory messaging.

  Counterterrorism and countering violent extremism strategic communications efforts across various programs and initiatives can be informed by the following recommendations: 

  1. Disruption of violent extremist material needs to be applied comprehensively and across multiple platforms, in order to avoid displacing terrorist messaging activity between channels. The vacuum created by disruption needs to be filled with a series of messages designed to leverage a range of motivational drivers, in order to resonate with a target audience subject to varying motivations and in order to have a reinforcing cumulative effect on that audience. 
  2. To ensure coherent messaging over the short, medium and long term, campaign and message design principles need to be synchronized through the establishment of a clear and simple-to-understand, overarching central narrative, which is supported by a thematically diverse array of messages. 
  3. A clear identification of the target audience is vital to effective strategic communications, taking into account a spectrum of potential consumers of the message (intended, unintended, supporters, adversaries and neutrals). A nuanced behavioral and attitudinal understanding of that audience is needed to persuasively shape attitudes and behaviors. 
  4. Measuring the efficacy of strategic communications requires assessments that focus on measures of strategic literacy, technical literacy and target audience. These assessments need to be initially performed prior to the commencement of a strategic communications effort in order to establish a baseline measure. Once the baseline metrics are established, these assessments need to be regularly implemented as a means to gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of the campaign over time. 

  
  In order to gain trust, credibility and legitimacy in the eyes of a target audience, messaging needs to be synchronized with activities on the ground, thereby reducing the perceived disparity between what one says and does (the ‘say-do gap’).
  

  

  Photo Source: Ingram, H. J. and A. Reed. “Lessons from History for Counter-Terrorism Strategic Communications”, The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague 7, no. 4 (2016).

  There are three important levels at which such communications take place – macro, mezzo, and micro – referring to the scope of the message being delivered, each with a specific set of considerations. Macro-level considerations include the reach, relevance, and resonance of the message, while at the mezzo level, one must consider the specific medium, messenger, and the format of the message. Finally, at the micro level, considerations must be made relating to the design of the specific message itself.
  

What Could An Extremist Narrative Look Like?

Jump to... Main learning site Session 1: Objectives and Expected Results How Does the Internet Support and Create Opportunities for Extremist Narratives and Radicalization? Digital Recruitment in Today's Society What Tactics Do Violent Extremists Use to Radicalize Individuals? Who Do Violent Extremists Target in Radicalization and Recruitment Online? How and Why Do Youth Become Key Targets for Radicalization and Recruitment? Gendered Lens: How and Why Do Women Become Key Targets for Radicalization and Recruitment? How Does Religion Influence Online Recruitment and Radicalization? What About Policymakers? How do They Support Radicalization and Resilience Factors? Additional Resources for Session 1 Session 2: Objectives and Expected Results What Could An Extremist Narrative Look Like? What is Counter or Alternative Messaging and How Can it Be Used to Prevent Radicalization? Building a Strategic Campaign Guidelines for Creating an Effective Campaign Mapping Your Target Audience How is Our Target Audience Currently Interacting with Extremist Content? How to Craft Your Counter or Alternative Message Tactics to Disseminate Your Campaign Messages Your Counter or Alternative Narrative Campaign is Launched - Now What? Evaluating Your Counter or Alternative Narrative Campaign Now It’s Your Turn to Make a Counter Narrative Campaign! Additional Resources for Session 2 Session 3: Objectives and Expected Results Being Safe When Using Online Spaces Safety Through An Inclusive Lens What if Someone I know is Talking to an Unsafe Person? Key Considerations for Building Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration and Trust to Prevent Online Radicalization and Recruitment Additional Resources for Session 3 Print Your Course Certificate

What is Counter or Alternative Messaging and How Can it Be Used to Prevent Radicalization?