Analysis: The Christchurch mosque shooter, steeped in online culture, knew how to make his massacre go viral
Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and other online platforms say they’re working to remove video footage filmed by a gunman in the New Zealand mosque shooting that was widely available on social media hours after the horrific attack. By Abby Ohlheiser Abby Ohlheiser Reporter covering digital culture Email Bio Follow March 15 at 5:19 PM As the gunman accused of killing 49 people in attacks on two New Zealand mosques put his murderous plan into action, he had an audience.
The New Zealand gunman advertised his massacre on social media, laced his manifesto with jokes that would be recognized by specific segments of online culture, and ensured that the first things the rest of the world would see and hear about the shooting were exactly the things he wanted them to know. It would be hours before the platforms that helped spread his message did something to stop it.
Juxtaposed with overtly racist screeds in his manifesto are references to Candace Owens, Spyro the Dragon and Fortnite that are almost certainly meant as inside jokes to the racist online fringe, ones that, if the racists are very lucky, will be misinterpreted by journalists as they comb the manifesto for answers.
Rebecca Lewis, a research affiliate for Data and Society, has documented how the boundaries between mainstream culture and extremist content are permeable on YouTube. Racism finds an audience online just like any aspiring influencer would: by getting more mainstream personalities with bigger audiences to reference them in their content. These connections are aided by algorithms that recommend to users content they might like to see.
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