Live-Tweeting Terror: The 2013 Nairobi hostage crisis

What is it about?

This article seeks to interpret the strategic use of Twitter during a terrorist attack. It draws on political theories of the public and power, as well as literary theory about dramatic performance, in order to provide a perspective on what live-Tweeting is able to do for terrorists, and how.

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Why is it important?

The relationships between terrorism and news media are well-understood, but with the rise of social media that relationship is changing to put more possibility in the hands of terrorists. In my work, I show how one account was able to garner international attention and rewrite the dominant narrative, problematizing the state as the actor. By doing so, I hope to empower organizations facing terrorist groups with social media savvy, such as ISIS/ISIL, by providing them with a strategic framework.