When European nationals left to join Islamic State, the media extensively reported on many of these individuals. Women's news coverage had a recurrent narrative-the "jihadi bride." Academic research has strived to analyse the nature of this coverage, effectively critiquing the narrative. Male jihadists have received limited attention in research on the roles of gender and media. This article seeks to contribute to a gap in knowledge concerning the comparative aspects of gendered representations by evaluating the differences between male and female news media coverage of two high-profile cases: the British woman Shamima Begum and the German man Denis Cuspert. Key findings show that Begum is primarily framed as a reject of British society and a "doubly deviant" woman. Cuspert is portrayed as radical, charismatic, active, and influential over youth. While aligning with previous research on gendered media tropes, this study advances knowledge by demonstrating how each individual's framing does not merely emphasise gendered personality traits but also connects to broader societal and political factors in domestic contemporary cultural settings.

No previous organization has managed to execute such a widespread and sophisticated model for producing and distributing propaganda as the Islamic State (IS), relying on digital participation from supporters on a global scale. In 2015, IS and its supporters started using the encrypted application Telegram. On pro-IS channels, supporters are currently managing virtual communities in which an ideological bolstering and recontextualization of official propaganda are apparent on a daily basis. Through a digital ethnographic approach and covert observation of IS's official and supporter channels on Telegram for six months in 2017, this article aims to present findings on what characterizes the symbiotic relationship between official IS channels and supporter (pro-IS) channels and content. The conjunctures and collaborative media practices and affordances surrounding official and supporter channels on Telegram are discussed as manifestations of contemporary digital warfare. In addition, this article provides a wider theoretical understanding of IS's use of Telegram as an expression of a participatory media culture in which the contemporary relationship between the IS's central organization and its supporters constitutes a significant shift in modern online terrorism.

No previous organization has managed to execute such a widespread and sophisticated model for producing and distributing propaganda as the Islamic State (IS), relying on digital participation from supporters on a global scale. In 2015, IS and its supporters started using the encrypted application Telegram. On pro-IS channels, supporters are currently managing virtual communities in which an ideological bolstering and recontextualization of official propaganda are apparent on a daily basis. Through a digital ethnographic approach and covert observation of IS’s official and supporter channels on Telegram for six months in 2017, this article aims to present findings on what characterizes the symbiotic relationship between official IS channels and supporter (pro-IS) channels and content. The conjunctures and collaborative media practices and affordances surrounding official and supporter channels on Telegram are discussed as manifestations of contemporary digital warfare. In addition, this article provides a wider theoretical understanding of IS’s use of Telegram as an expression of a participatory media culture in which the contemporary relationship between the IS’s central organization and its supporters constitutes a significant shift in modern online terrorism.