strategic communication as a counter-terrorism tool nic labuschagne 17 th february 2011

What is…?

Strategic communication is a planned series of sustained and coherent activities that develop

and promote ideas and opinions with the objective of

changing or sustaining particular types of behaviour

Strategic communication is NOT simple media interaction,

Information Operations, advertising, marketing,

propaganda or spin

Counterterrorism is the collective term for measures

intended to combat or reduce terrorism, and is primarily pre-

emptive in nature

Terrorism is the calculated use, or threat of use, of violence for

political purposes against civilians

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How can Strategic Communication contribute to Counterterrorism?

ViolenceRadicalisation

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Key Questions

Do we understand the

behaviour? Where are the trigger points and barriers?

Can we design interventions

that can change this behaviour?

Can we model the behaviour?

How does communication support these interventions?

What influences this behaviour?

How do we measure any

changes?

?

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The Belief-Behaviour Gap

Adapted from: Leuprecht et al, 2010

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Intervention Process

Adapted from: A. Darnton, 2008

Western Use of Strategic Communication

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Intercultural Intelligence Gap

Source: S.A. Tatham, Dec 2008

It’s not hard to see why the West has difficulty communicating

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Terrorist Use of Strategic Communication

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Audience Segmentation

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Insiders

Existing Backers and Supporters

Muslims who could support

Troublemakers, Apostates, Jews,

Unbelievers

Outsiders

“How-to” Guide for web-Jihadists

11Source: J. Brachman, 2010

Global Jihadi Meta Narrative

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Objectives of the Global Jihadi Narrative

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Counter-narratives or Countering Narratives?

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Conclusion• Strategic communication can be utilised to counter

terrorist narratives and to support interventions aimed at preventing or reducing the incidence of violent radicalisation

• A far more sophisticated understanding of the complex systems nature of the communication space is required

• Western governments’ credibility is too compromised and their ability to control the delivery of a common counternarrative is too fragmented to consider investment in such an initiative at this stage

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