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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

Terrorism is the calculated use, or threat of use, of violence for political purposes against civilians

Counterterrorism is the collective term for measures intended to combat or reduce terrorism, and is primarily pre-emptive in nature 2

How can Strategic Communication contribute to Counterterrorism?

Radicalisation

Violence

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Key Questions How do we measure any changes?

Do we understand the behaviour?

?

Can we model the behaviour?

Can we design interventions that can change this behaviour?

What influences this behaviour?

Where are the trigger points and barriers?

How does communication support these interventions?

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The BeliefBehaviour Gap

5 Adapted from: Leuprecht et al, 201

Intervention Process

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Adapted from: A. Darnton, 2008

Western Use of Strategic Communication

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Intercultural Intelligence Gap

It’s no see t hard to w Wes hy the t diffi has cu com mun lty icat ing

Source: S.A. Tatham, Dec 2008

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Terrorist Use of Strategic Communication

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Audience Segmentation Outsiders Troublemakers, Apostates, Jews, Unbelievers Insiders Existing Backers and Supporters Muslims who could support

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“How-to” Guide for webJihadists

Source: J. Brachman, 2010

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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 15