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The Alt-Right in Europe
November 7, 2018Read in Dutch Read in French Read in German Earlier this month, VOX-Pol published The Alt-Right Twitter Census, an analysis of the online activities of the right-wing umbrella movement. The report examined almost 30,000 followers of Twitter accounts that self-identified as alt-right in their user names or profile information. The report painted a picture of ...
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Media Coverage of New Report ‘The Alt-Right Twitter Census: Defining and Describing the Audience for Alt-Right Content on Twitter’
November 6, 2018The Alt-Right Twitter Census: Defining and Describing the Audience for Alt-Right Content on Twitter gained significant attention in the media upon its release. The report was written by VOX-Pol fellow, JM Berger, and has been featured in several publications. Below are some examples: ‘The alt-right loves YouTube’ VOX(15 October 2018) Click here to read more. ‘Support ...
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This Isn’t Helter Skelter: Why the Internet Alone Can’t be Blamed for Radicalisation
October 31, 2018By Daniel Baldino & Kosta Lucas The Internet’s precise role in the process of radicalisation remains vexing. You can lead a person to a bomb-making manual, but you can’t make them use it. Radicalisation is a social process. It refers to a means by which an individual or group embraces an extreme ideology and rejects ...
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Cryptocurrencies: Potential for Terror Financing?
October 24, 2018By Ahmad Helmi Bin Mohamad Hasbi and Remy Mahzam Synopsis Given their transaction anonymity and user-friendliness, cryptocurrencies appeal to extremist groups as they offer a viable alternative to the mainstream financial system and fiat money which are perceived as ‘kafir’ (infidel) currencies. The threat of cyber-driven terrorist financing is expected to grow. Commentary Bitcoins and ...
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“Yes, I Can”: The Role of Perceived Self-Efficacy in Violent Radicalisation Processes
October 17, 2018By Linda Schlegel & Till Baaken In recent years, radicalisation, its causes and facilitating conditions as well as possible counter-strategies have been widely discussed within the academic community, among practitioners, and by politicians. Today, there are a variety of radicalisation models available in order to facilitate our understanding of this phenomenon and the empirical evidence is progressively ...
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VOX-Pol Sponsors DCU School of Communications Research and Industry Symposium
October 16, 2018 On Monday October 15, DCU School of Communications held a research and industry symposium titled ‘Media and Politics in a Polarised World‘. The event featured a full day of of discussions from leading academics and experts from the political and media industries. See the full schedule below: ...
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Oxford Internet Institute Call for Papers
October 16, 2018Our VOX-Pol colleagues, Jonathan Bright and Bharath Ganesh (Oxford Internet Institute), have issued a Call for Papers for Special Issue Responses to Online Extremism. The intent of this special issue is to ‘map and evaluate emerging public-private partnerships, technologies, and responses to online extremism.’ There are three leading aspects of concern that the issue will ...
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New Research Report: The Alt-Right Twitter Census by JM Berger
October 15, 2018 VOX-Pol has released its latest report in the VOX-Pol publication series, titled The Alt-Right Twitter Census: Defining and Describing the Audience for Alt-Right Content on Twitter, authored by J.M. Berger, on 15 October 2018. About the Report This report defines and describes the alt-right audience on twitter, and identifies the top ten most influential twitter accounts ...
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Dr. Kate Coyer speaks at German Konrad Adenauer Foundation Conference
October 12, 2018On October 2, Dr. Kate Coyer of VOX-Pol partner institute CEU, spoke at a conference hosted by the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation. The conference was titled “Mind the gap: Radicalization and De-Radicalization in Theory and Practice“. Participants and speakers discussed differences and similarities between European states in tackling radicalization and de-radicalization, reasons and motives that drive ...
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Follow the Echo Chamber: Measuring Political Attitude Change and Media Effects on Twitter
October 10, 2018By Laura Jakli and Paul Gill This blog post summarises the preliminary results of a VOX-Pol supported study that estimates the effects of social media echo chambers on political polarisation. Social Media and Political Polarisation Countless news articles and studies argue that social media exacerbates political polarisation and distorts the political news landscape. The general argument put ...