A systematic integrative review of counter-messaging communication campaigns targeting terrorism or violent extremism

In response to the rise of the so-called Islamic State and its effective use of propaganda to recruit and radicalise followers, countering the communication strategies of a range of terrorist and violent extremist actors has become a significant challenge for policymakers and practitioners. Over the past decade, counter-messaging campaigns have increasingly played a central role within Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programming. However, evidence supporting the effectiveness of these campaigns remains limited. While previous systematic reviews have focused on empirical and theoretical contributions, this paper makes a valuable contribution by conducting the first systematic review of evaluations of ‘live’ CVE counter-messaging campaigns. The study provides important insights into the effectiveness of current campaigns and offers recommendations for improving future strategies.