What does Daesh want you to know?

Abstract: Acknowledged from the existing literature regarding Daesh’s propaganda, the focus has mostly been on their propaganda on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. However, I argue that a gap regarding Daesh’s propaganda is the lack of studies on Daesh’s online-magazine Dabiq and this thesis aim to fill this gap. I argue that Daesh’s way of arguing and framing their arguments are the key to understanding their propaganda since the frame affects the propaganda and its ability to reach its audience. The purpose of this thesis is thus to show the relation between Dabiq’s content and its frame and how this frame affects the propaganda, in order understand Daesh’s message and goals. Having analysed Dabiq’s content, I come to the conclusion that Daesh frames Dabiq in a way that it contains information and discussions regarding their interpretation of Islam which is a very strict, easily portrayed and polarized view of Islam. By using current events and discussions, identifying problems, addressing the audience’s needs of fellowship and unity, expressing solutions to the problems affected by how some Western countries treat Muslims, Daesh construct their message and in this way Dabiq’s frame affects the propaganda content.