Countering Online Propaganda and Extremism: The Dark Side of Digital Diplomacy

Bjola and Pamment bring together scholars and practitioners to examine what they call the 'dark side' of digital diplomacy: the use of digital communication tools not for public engagement but for propaganda, radicalisation, and information warfare — and what states and institutions can do to counter these. The collection examines case studies from ISIS recruitment, Russian interference operations, and state-sponsored disinformation, alongside analysis of counter-messaging strategies, strategic communication frameworks, and the institutional challenges of mounting effective responses.

The book sits at the intersection of international relations, strategic communication, and counter-terrorism — a crossover point that is increasingly central to how governments think about hybrid threats. Bjola's work on digital diplomacy at Oxford and Pamment's on strategic communications at Lund give the volume both theoretical depth and policy relevance. While published in 2018, the frameworks developed here remain foundational for understanding what counter-influence operations require: an inside understanding of adversary information environments, disciplined messaging, and institutional coordination that most democracies have struggled to sustain.