Somali terror group Al-Shabaab has menaced Somalia for nearly a decade, at its height occupying and controlling nearly all of southern Somalia. As part of its broader military and governance strategies, al-Shabaab leaders recognized early on the need for a multi-faceted and flexible media apparatus to share their message and build relationships with other jihadist organizations. Casting themselves as a reliable alternative to the international news media and official media organs of its enemies, al-Shabaab’s media operatives are engaged in a form of “jihadi journalism,” an active attempt to influence and even direct the news cycle, especially during times of major upheavals and crises. Adeptly using new and social media technologies, insurgent media acts as a force multiplier by amplifying perceptions of al-Shabaab’s power even during a time of territorial decline and mounting battlefield and economic setbacks.  

A new report from Hate Speech International (HSI) authored by Christopher Anzalone provides in-depth analysis of al-Shabaab’s media operations and information warfare, utilizing a diverse array of sources to provide a comprehensive account of the rise and modus operandi of the media wing of one of the most successful jihadi-insurgent organizations in recent times.

Please join the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center, in coordination with HSI, for a conversation on this media strategy and its impact on the fight against al-Shabaab in Somalia. Anzalone will speak alongside Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Research Fellow Stig Jarle Hansen. Africa Center Deputy Director Bronwyn Bruton will moderate the panel.  
 

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