Reading jihad: Mapping the shifting themes of Inspire magazine

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s Inspire magazine has received attention within Western academia and media for its role in inspiring and instructing a series of homegrown terrorist attacks. Reporting on the magazine often characterises it as a Western-centric instrument of jihadi discourse. This characterisation, while broadly accurate, is in need of refinement. Using a modified version of Jennifer Attride-Stirling’s method of thematic network analysis, this research visualises and analyses the narrative themes contained within fourteen issues of Inspire magazine. It demonstrates that the magazine’s narrative extends well beyond the Western world. In reality, Inspire’s themes centre not only on the West and its Muslim populations, but on local politics and broader religious issues. The magazine’s thematic focus has also shifted over time—particularly in response to (a) political volatility in the Middle East and North Africa, (b) the killing of prominent jihadists, and (c) the execution of successful individual jihad operations. Throughout these periods of change, Inspire struggled to maintain focus on its anti-Western narrative and proved easily distracted by local issues and the “martyrdom” of Al Qaeda leaders. Understanding Inspire’s thematic landscape and its shifting character prove important in understanding and responding effectively to its jihadi discourse.     

报刊公共领域与邹韬奋

众所周知,邹韬奋是我国卓越的新闻记者、出版家,更是一名进步爱国的政论家。他主编的《生活》周刊、《大众生活》和《全民抗战》刊物,由于其客观的立场、报刊的公共性和其注重与读者平等的讨论,构成了报刊公共领域。作为这一公共领域中的发言人角色,邹韬奋积极发表新闻评论,设立读者信箱和小言论等精品栏目,与读者和同仁进行交流。这些编辑出版活动充分展现了邹韬奋在报刊公共空间中的舆论引导作用。     

Questionnaire for Readers of China Today's English Edition

正Thank you for reading China Today’s English edition.Your feedback will help us better satisfy your needs.Please mail this questionnaire to English Department,No.24 Baiwanzhuang Street,Xicheng District,Beijing,100037.Or you can email it to chinatoday@aliyun.com,or fax it to 010-68328338.Those who give us feedback will receive two free copies of any edition of China Today(Chinese,English,French,Spanish and Arabic),which may be sent to any address in China’s main land.Thank you very much for fi lling out the questionnaire.     

Questionnaire for Readers of China Today's English Edition

正Thank you for reading China Today’s English edition.Your feedback will help us better satisfy your needs.Please mail this questionnaire to English Department,No.24 Baiwanzhuang Street,Xicheng District,Beijing,100037.Or you can email it to chinatoday@aliyun.com,or fax it to 010-68328338.Those who give us feedback     

Questionnaire for Readers of China Today's English Edition

正Thank you for reading China Today’s English edition.Your feedback will help us better satisfy your needs.Please mail this questionnaire to English Department,No.24 Baiwanzhuang Street,Xicheng District,Beijing,100037.Or you can email it to chinatoday@aliyun.com,or fax it to 010-68328338.Those who give us feedback will receive two free copies of any edition of China Today(Chinese,English,French,Spanish and Arabic),which may be sent to any address in China’s main land.Thank you very much for fi lling out the questionnaire.     

Economy

正China Sees a Big Leap in Mobile Payments Last year 125 million Chinese made payments by mobile phones,an increase of 126 percent over the previous year,and the volume of payments rose by 707 percent.Users who pay by smartphone now outnumber those who pay by other means like bank cards and the Internet,according to the 2014 China Internet Financial Development Report,published in August by the Internet Society of China(ISC)and Finance World,a Xinhua News Agency magazine.     

Guide to Authors

正Published by China Institute of International Studies,China International Studies is China’s first English-language journal on diplomacy and international politics for formal circulation.The magazine mainly publishes the latest research achievements of Chinese scholars and specialists on China’s diplomacy,international politics and international relations under such columns as China’s Diplomacy,International Relations,International Politics,International Security,Regional Issues and World Economy.     

Guide to Authors

正Published by China Institute of International Studies,China International Studies is China’s first English-language journal on diplomacy and international politics for formal circulation.The magazine mainly publishes the latest research achievements of Chinese scholars and specialists on China’s diplomacy,international politics and international relations under