Linguistic Stylistics of Extremist Discourse in the Digital Realm: Analyzing ISIS's Rhetoric

Abstract

This study delves into the linguistic characteristics within the structure of extremist discourse across social media platforms, focusing on a collection of speeches by the Islamic State organization (ISIS). The research aims to uncover the thought process and the underlying meanings that can be analyzed through what is known as the Stylistic Footprint. That is done by examining semantic and syntactic levels, identifying repetitions and intensifications of specific lexical units, and considering their use of rhetorical tools and strategies grounded in their linguistic repertoire—which encompasses connotations and phonetic rhythms, or their deliberate choices in the structure of syntactic relation networks including stylistic deviations from the standard expression level.The findings of this analysis highlight that exploring the extremist thought structure embodied in linguistic discourse is a crucial aspect of criminal investigations. It aids in identifying warning signals that precede or potentially predict acts of violence in some instances. Furthermore, it contributes to developing more convincing counter-narratives to combat extremist discourse by studying the stylistic features of the extremist language.