Media and Islamist radicalization. An analysis of reciprocal media effects on Islamist radicalization processes, the characteristics, and causes of local media coverage of the Islamist scene

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As Islamist radicalization is an interdisciplinary explored threat to democracy, the question arises how communication studies contribute to the investigation of the processes, in which a person increasingly becomes a supporter of Islamist ideology resp. uses violence with reference to this ideology. Research is characterized by three main gaps. First, there are no systematic studies on the role journalistic media content and propaganda content play in different radicalization phases of persons who evolve into political or jihadist Salafis. Second, especially those journalistic media content relevant for radicalization have not been explored yet that cover a certain local Islamic scene, which (on the basis of the concept of reciprocal effects according to Kepplinger) can be assumed to have an impact on radicalizing persons on the spot. Third, the causes of those journalistic media content have not been systematically explored so far. The proposed project aims to reduce those three research gaps in five hot spots in Germany and Austria by (1) qualitative interviews with Islamists in prison and scene-leavers about the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral effects of media coverage and propaganda; (2) quantitative content analysis of tabloid media coverage in those hot spots; and (3) qualitative interviews with journalists about their interactions with representatives of the scene and about their individual attitudes and working conditions. One focus in all three sub-studies is on the role of the media with regard to the dangerousness of the scene, i. e. on (1) how political and jihadist Salafis process the medial representation of the dangerousness of the scene and which wishful representation they aspire to; (2) how the media portray the dangerousness of the scene; and (3) which factors influence the medial representation of the dangerousness of the scene. Empirical findings aim to contribute to theorizing the media’s role in the course of radicalization and to responsible coverage on Islamism.