The following article is an extract from the paper “Creating awareness within the masses”: mapping the pro-Islamic State (IS) ecosystem on Instagram, Issue 2, Vol. 21, published by the ITSTIME international journal Sicurezza, Terrorismo, Società.

Based on the ITSTIME method, the study offers a mapping of the pro-Islamic State (IS) ecosystem on Instagram, focusing on its role within the broader Salafi-jihadi online communication strategy. Since the early 2000s, Salafi-jihadi movements have developed a persistent online presence, transitioning from single-platform approaches to integrated, resilient networks. These networks are shaped following the principles of netwar, enabling media mujahideen to adapt, decentralise, and continue their activities across multiple platforms. Grounded in the frameworks of the Multiplatform Communication Paradigm and the Swarmcast model 2.0, the paper explores how IS munasirin exploit the platform to disseminate propaganda and perform da’wa. Based on the identification and categorisation of more than 200 accounts, the study highlights six user types which are differently active in spreading pro-IS propaganda material. Additionally, the authors observed how many accounts present outlinks directing users to IS core platforms like Telegram, Rocket.Chat, and Element. The research highlights Instagram’s relevance as an entry point to the IS information ecosystem for IS supporters. Instagram thus emerges as a strategic media battlefield on the online ribat, where the Mujahid vanguard operates to educate, cultivate, and mobilise the masses.