Radicalism and use of new media tackled in first academic conference

The rise in the use of new media by far-right groups to spread extremist messages and to recruit members will be explored at a major gathering at The University of Northampton this week.

By bringing together academics and practitioners involved in analysing the contemporary extreme right-wing, this day-long event represents the first academic symposium of its kind in the UK.

Over 60 delegates from national and local Government, the police, security and probation services, specialists in fascist radicalism and academia will gather at the one-day Fascist Radicalism and the New Media conference at Park Campus on Friday 17 September, featuring presentations from the Searchlight Magazine, Durham Constabulary and the East Midlands Community Contact Unit.

The conference has been organised by two scholars in The University of Northampton's School of Social Sciences, Dr Matthew Feldman, Senior Lecturer in Twentieth Century History, and Paul Jackson, Research Coordinator for the University's unique research unit - the Radicalism and New Media Research Group. Dr Feldman, who has advised Scotland Yard, SO-15 and the Government on right wing extremism, and whose evidence has led to the convictions of several right wing extremists, commented:

New media technologies such as the internet, personal communication devices, portable videos and so on, are increasingly employed by the European and American far-right from online radicalisation to full-flown cyberterrorism. Certain groups are using social networking sites to recruit totheir causes. This is naturally very alarming and is one of the reasons Northampton is leading on this critical - and increasingly important - issue.

Dr Feldman

Dr Jackson added:

Our symposium will bring together for the first time cutting-edge academic research on the contemporary far-right in the UK and Europe with a range of practitioners and enforcement bodies.

Dr Jackson