An Examination of Racial and Ethnically Motivated Extremist Women’s Discourse and Identity Construction Across Digital Media Platforms Brenna Helm (Michigan State University) Abstract: Women’s involvement in American racial and ethnically motivated (REM) extremism has evolved with the proliferation of influencer culture on Web 2.0 platforms. REM extremist women’s increasing exploitation of media platforms that overlap with mainstream culture poses a heightened risk of recruitment and radicalization into racist organizations. This study employs triangulated data sourced from an REM extremist subforum, affiliated blogs, and podcasts that are created and maintained by women engaging with the movement to investigate how extremist women’s strategies evolve across platforms characterized by greater accessibility and more diverse audiences beyond co-ideologues. Collectively, these three digital modalities provide additional layers that allow for a more nuanced investigation of racist women’s efforts in appealing to potential and current adherents to REM extremist ideology. The goal of this study is to improve our overall understanding of the ways that women participate in and shape current REM extremist discourse in an increasingly fragmented online environment. In doing so, the results of this research will contribute to a larger initiative prioritizing the development of effective strategies that interrupt both the dissemination of racist propaganda across online platforms and countering online radicalization strategies employed by REM extremist groups.
Podcast Patriots: How Far-Right Women Podcasters Shaped the Narrative Around the January 6 Insurrection Catherine Girard (Masaryk University)
Abstract: A small percentage of those charged in relation to the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill insurrection have been women. While women might not have been on the frontline of this event, they play an overall crucial role in softening and mainstreaming far-right groups’ appearance to the general population. With low barriers to entry and the ease of creating audio content, far-right women have increasingly relied on podcasts to spread their hateful ideologies. Yet, this method of dissemination remains understudied compared to their reach. This article analyzes four American female-hosted far-right podcasts’ episodes published five days after January 6, 2021. Using critical discourse analysis, I assess how far-right women shape the narrative around the insurrection and how they legitimize the group’s image to a mainstream audience. While this research argues that these female podcast hosts warrant the influencer label, it also finds that they do not soften the image of the far-right like other studied far-right influencers. They take a brash approach to sharing far-right ideologies but come to the same results – excuses for extremist behaviour. Thus, this research recommends a new influencer category for these far-right female podcasters who disseminate talk-show-like content with an explicit, far-right extremist political angle.
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