| The following paper closely analyzes the digital media produced by Al Hayat Media Center, the media division of the Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) and its use as propaganda produced for a Western audience. Since 2014, the Islamic State has shown a unique enthusiasm for digital media as a means of disseminating ideology and connecting with potential recruits worldwide. The Islamic State's use of digital media through Al Hayat videos and the magazine Dabiq is a sophisticated propagandic campaign that has allowed for their success in waging a continuing ideological war. This paper looks at a total of thirty videos produced by the Islamic State's Al Hayat Media Center, three Western made documentaries with footage inside the Islamic State's territory, and thirteen issues of Dabiq magazine to see what appeals are being made by the Islamic State, how the digital medium affects their distribution and consumption, and who the targeted audiences may be. |
