XIX ISA World Congress of Sociology (July 15-21, 2018)

418

Media and Religious Radicalization: Gatekeeping and the Construction of Extremism

RC22 Sociology of Religion (host committee)

Language: French and English

In recent public debates in most Western countries, religious radicalization is often connected with media exposure of violent extremism. Terrorist acts and sectarian practices attract immediate media attention, and social and mainstream media are frequently accused of facilitating radicalization processes among youths. This bilingual panel aims at questioning these assumptions by featuring research on media coverage of religious radicalization on the one hand. On the other hand, it seeks presentations on the use of media in the actual processes of radicalization, especially from youth. Our approach of the media is based on the theory of “gatekeeping” (Barzilai-Nahon 2008), which outlines the role of key media in the choices of coverage, giving them huge influence on public opinions. In the age of social media, this role has certainly changed, but we argue that gatekeepers still exert influence, albeit in a decentralized mode. Communications can thus explore the roles of both traditional and social media gatekeepers in fashioning public opinions around issues of religious radicalization. They can also examine whether radical groups produce their own gatekeepers in their use of media. Finally, they can seek to understand how diverse parts of media publics react to media discourses around religious radicalization, change their perceptions through media exposure, or build counter-narratives.