Continuity and Change: The Evolution and Resilience of Al-Shabab's Media Insurgency, 2006–2016

A new report from Hate Speech International examines the history and evolution of al-Shabab's media operations capabilities and narrative messaging. The report, written by Christopher Anzalone — a Research Fellow with the International Security Program at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs — gives particular attention to their strategic use and position within the insurgents' broader strategy of territorial control, survival, and rule in light of shifts on the ground inside Somalia and, since 2012, increasingly in neighboring countries such as Kenya.

Also analyzed are the multiple target audiences of Al-Shabab's multi-faceted media campaign; the importance of on-the-ground organizaiton and performance of political rituals and events as an integral part of insurgent propaganda; the growing battle between the group and Islamic State and its domestic and regional sympathizers in Somalia and East Africa; and the construction of specific media operations narratives designed to attract particular target audiences — domestic, regional, and international.

Understanding the ways in which Al-Shabab's sophisticated media campaign operates and identifying this multimedia output's multiple intended audiences and its ability to advance insurgent influence and power projection are key to reaching a fuller comprehension of the successes and failures of one of the most successful insurgent movements of the 21st century.