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Al Qaeda's Propaganda War: A War for Hearts and Minds

Pohl, Jill Hannah
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1389654137

Abstract Details

2013, Master of Arts (MA), Wright State University, International and Comparative Politics.
Literature on terrorist efforts to win over hearts and minds discusses several influential factors: the politics of the organization, the relationship of the organization to the public, levels of violence, provocation of counterterror responses, and the use of various forms of propaganda. It is my contention that mass media propaganda, which reaches the widest audience, is most influential in the battle for hearts and minds. Al Qaeda has exploited this tool to sustain support. In spite of this, Arab Public Opinion Surveys show a decline in support for Al Qaeda's anti-Western goals, and fluctuations in support for its methods. They also indicate a decline, then an increase, and an ultimate falloff in overall support for the organization. I would like to determine what is responsible for these changes? Do media propaganda efforts influence Arab-Muslim public opinion, or is something else creating these changes year by year? The answers to this question may be applicable to other terror organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah. However, these are terror organizations operating on a national rather than transnational scale. Al Qaeda is unique in its transnational scope, but this does not mean that what works on a larger scale would not apply to a smaller scale and constituency as well. This gives my study the potential for broad generalizability, though every terror organization is unique and what applies to one may not apply to another, be they national or transnational in scope.
Vaughn Shannon, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Donna Schalgheck, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Awad Halabi, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
125 p.
International Relations; Mass Communications; Multimedia Communications; Political Science
Al Qaeda; terrorism; media; propaganda

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Pohl, J. H. (2013). Al Qaeda's Propaganda War: A War for Hearts and Minds [Master's thesis, Wright State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1389654137

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Pohl, Jill. Al Qaeda's Propaganda War: A War for Hearts and Minds. 2013. Wright State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1389654137.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Pohl, Jill. "Al Qaeda's Propaganda War: A War for Hearts and Minds." Master's thesis, Wright State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1389654137

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

wright1389654137
849
© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.