After decades on the social and political margins, far-right groups and movements are enjoying increasing success, and even claiming a place in mainstream electoral politics in many Western political systems.

Research shows that new media like Twitter, YouTube, and community sites likes 4chan and Reddit are increasingly involved with the mobilization of popular support for far-right electoral campaigns, and even organized political violence. These technologies - including other social media, discussion websites, certain online games, chat servers, talk radio, cable news, and print media - are making contemporary far-right ideologies possible in diverse ways, altering methods of recruitment to the extent that they become unrecognizable from far-right movements of the past, and thus, more dangerous.

The results of these new technological processes can be seen in the increasing normalization of far-right values within mainstream culture, politics, and media ecosystems within countries from the United States, Britain, Australia, Germany, and Hungary.

This book brings together recent academic research exploring how far-right groups use new media to recruit followers to extremist beliefs and mobilize political action. In doing so, the book reveals the complex ways that evolving technologies are used both purposively, subtly, and in some cases incidentally, to recruit and mobilize far-right support.

About the Author

Melody Devries is a PhD Candidate in the Communication and Culture Department at Ryerson University, Canada.

Judith Bessant is Professor at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Justice, QUT, Australia.

Rob Watts is Professor of Social Policy at RMIT University, Melbourne.

Reviews

This volume offers a timely, novel, and important contribution to current and emerging research on the nexus of the far right and digital technologies.

-- Tanner Mirrlees, Assistant Professor in the Communication and Digital Media Studies Program at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Analysing recruitment tactics, this volume provides significant information on how far right actors and their supporters become engaged in extremist politics, and how their contributions to and consumption of media artefacts on these platforms alters and influences their views and actions.

-- Peter Lentini, Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations, Monash University



Book Information
ISBN 9781538158906
Author Melody Devries
Format Paperback
Page Count 292
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 490g
Dimensions(mm) 219mm * 155mm * 19mm