Journalism’s extraordinary audience: The characteristics and circumstances of news media consumption among Islamists

Abstract

This study is the first to comprehensively explore Islamists’ consumption of news media and to describe the circumstances of their contact with different types of reports. Based on access to 34 Islamist prisoners and 9 former Islamists, the findings showed that cognitively radicalized individuals were typically exposed to stereotyped negative media coverage of Islam, the Salafi Politico scene, Islamophobia, and terrorist attacks – content that is perceived to portray Islam as a problem for mainstream society. Individuals characterized by violent radicalization typically consumed more violent content, such as media coverage of war in Muslim countries and terrorist attacks. The news media consumption was strongly influenced by leading propagandists who selected and forwarded ideologically exploitable media reports, thereby creating hybrid propaganda–media content. The findings highlight the need for journalists to recognize their responsibility when it comes to reporting on Muslims and Islamism.