Alexey M. Vasiliev

Leonid Isaev

• Occupation: Associate Professor, National Research University Higher School of Economics; Research Fellow, Saint Petersburg State University; Research Fellow, Institute for African Studies, RAS
• Affiliation:
  National Research University Higher School of Economics
  Saint Petersburg State University
  Institute for African Studies, RAS
  
• Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

Andrey V. Korotayev

• Occupation: Head of Laboratory, National Reasearch University Higher School of Economics; Senior Research Fellow, Saint Petersburg State University; Leading Research Fellow, Institute for African Studies, RAS
• Affiliation:
  National Reasearch University Higher School of Economics
  Saint Petersburg State University
  Institute for African Studies, RAS
  
• Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

Alisa Shishkina

• Occupation: Research Fellow, National Reasearch University Higher School of Economics; Research Fellow, Saint Petersburg State University; Junior Research Fellow, Institute for African Studies, RAS
• Affiliation:
  National Reasearch University Higher School of Economics
  Saint Petersburg State University
  Institute for African Studies, RAS
  
• Address: Russian Federation, Moscow

This article discusses the media strategies of the Islamic State (ISIS). The authors conclude that the “soft power” of the Islamic State is based on three components: culture, political ideology, and foreign policy. The sources of the “soft power” are the elements and images that allow those interested and applying the “soft power” to gain control over the consumer. Throughout its existence, the Islamic State has been able to turn into a popular and attractive “global brand”, skillfully instrumentalizing information and foreign policy strategies. The wide coverage of content distributed via the Internet is exponentially increasing the audience that terrorists may be interested in. Such organizations have the opportunity to distribute content over the Internet without any control. The promotion of extremist rhetoric through a growing number of Internet platforms encourages acts of violence, which is also a general trend. Terrorist propaganda in cyberspace covers a variety of goals and audiences. It adapts, in particular, to potential or actual supporters of extremists or to a common extremist ideology. The Internet is used not only as a means for extremist publications, but also as a way of developing relations with potential supporters. On the experience of the “Islamic state”, it becomes obvious that the perception of an extremist group by its potential supporters is a pledge of strength and survival, and for such positioning it is important to maintain a high level of propaganda and add new and new elements to the main narrative. New technologies, as well as co-optation of high-class specialists, increase the cost of doing “jihad”, however, as practice shows, in order to remain in the mainstream, it is impossible to do without these tools.