ABSTRACT
Propaganda has a long history. As a concept, it is enjoying renewed interest in the context of the modern communications environment, particularly in relation to identifying and understanding extremist narratives and processes of dis- and mis-information. As an analytical tool, discourse analysis has proven to be a powerful method for understanding social and psychological interactions, and the way in which beliefs are developed from information. In this chapter, the core principles of propaganda theory and discourse analysis method are applied to a critical analysis of a selected extremist texts. This generates a set of recommendations for policy makers as to the utility of such an approach in the contemporary counter-extremism environment.
