The Janus Face of Media Propaganda: The Case of Patani Neojihadist Youtube Warfare and Its Islamophobic Effect on Cyber Actors

This article discusses the use of social media propaganda by Patani militants in Thailand and the sharply opposing outcomes it often produces. It further examines how Patani social interaction enabled by social media platforms such as YouTube leads to group cohesion among certain actors and the formation of a collective identity that is clustered around notions of Muslim victimization and defensive jihad; and how, at the same time, it reinforces antithetical identities and fosters group identity competition, where one religious group is often pitted against another. As a result, Patani neojihadist YouTube content aimed at radicalization has also provoked a reactionary anti-Muslim response from the movement's critics .

This article will be of use to scholars and counter-radicalization professionals looking to understand how social media can backfire on those militant groups seeking to utilize it, creating a pushback from other civil society groups who then attempt to counter the militants’ message.

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