CRISTINA ARCHETTI is Lecturer in Politics and Media at the University of Salford, UK. She won the 2008 Denis McQuail Best Article of the Year for Advancing Communication Theory award. Her recent publications include Explaining News: National Politics and Journalistic Cultures in Global Context (New York: Palgrave Macmillan).

'Bringing together a unique understanding of networks, narratives and branding, Archetti offers a distinctive and sophisticated framework to explain how terrorist and counter-terrorist groups operate through today's media ecology. Her compelling analysis and recommendations will make for essential reading as Al-Qaeda evolve and new conflicts emerge in the coming decade.' - Ben O'Loughlin, Royal Holloway University of London, UK

• List of Figures Acknowledgements Introduction: A Different Perspective on Terrorism The Problems with Terrorism Research Terrorism, Communication, and the Media A Communication Approach Explaining Radicalisation The Role of Narratives The Al Qaeda Narrative as a Brand The Way Forward Notes Bibliography Index