White terror in the information age: What’s missing from your far-right extremist reporting

Reporting on far-right extremism has changed. Investigative reporters show you what you need to know.

From the Christchurch shooter to a local white nationalist cell meeting in private gyms — far-right extremism is a global problem and experts say it’s only getting worse.

As law enforcement begins to take the threat more seriously, it’s prudent that newsrooms are equipped to report on the issue, responsibly and effectively. In this session, investigative reporters and researchers — who have worked on some of the most prolific racially-motivated attacks in recent years — will walk you through the changing white nationalist landscape, which took a dramatic turn last year.

We’ll revisit conventional wisdom and show you why your best practices might be fueling the problem. Using real-world examples of far-right violence to explore how to locate and monitor these groups both online and offline.

We’ll discuss the evolving coded language of the alt-right, breakdown their propaganda efforts, explore how to communicate with law enforcement and demonstrate why knowing how jihadists operate will make you a better reporter on this topic.

Suggested Speaker(s)

  • Kevin Nguyen
    Digital Forensics Reporter, ABC Australia
  • Benjamin Decker
    Digital Investigations, Memetica