David D. Perlmutter, professor and dean of the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University, will discuss ISIS recruiting tactics during his presentation “The Visual Persuasion of ISIS: Branding, Social Media and the Fanboys of Terror” at 6 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 11) in the Texas Tech Library's Croslin Room.
“If you think of them as a startup, ISIS has had spectacular success marketing, recruiting and branding its evil product,” Perlmutter said. “A key component has been the videos they use to recruit young men to give up their lives to fight for ISIS and millions more ‘fanboys' at home to spread the message via social media.”
Following the presentation will be a panel Q&A session featuring Rashid Al-Hmoud, associate professor of economics; Maj. Christopher Dawson of Texas Tech ROTC; Leo Eko, professor of journalism and electronic media and Atilla Hafizoglu of the Dialog Society of the Southwest.
Panel members will discuss other parts of the ISIS story, including the regional, military, legal, religious and economic contexts.
Bella Karr Gerlich, professor and dean of Texas Tech University Libraries, said it's important for the libraries to provide a venue for such world topics.
“This is a timely issue, and we're fortunate to have experts such as Dean Perlmutter and the panel members right here in Lubbock to help us all better understand this organization's recruiting methods,” Gerlich said. “It also introduces the audience to the library as a resource to encourage ongoing research and discussion.”
The event, co-sponsored by Texas Tech Libraries and the College of Media & Communication, is open to the public and admission is free. Refreshments will be served.
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