Investigating and Reporting on Far-Right Extremism
Far-right extremism is becoming more visible worldwide. Governments around the world are falling under the control of right-wing populists, which has given extremists the chance to weaponize dangerous ideologies through policy. Attacks on democratic institutions in both the United States and Brazil have been traced back to far-right groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. White supremacist perpetrators are inflicting acts of domestic terrorism on a more frequent basis.
The situation has risen to such a fever pitch that the United Nations has even sounded the alarm. A report filed by the Secretary General of the United Nations found “an increase in the frequency and lethality of [far-right] attacks, including the mass killings in Utøya, Norway, in July 2011 and attacks against two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand; in March 2019, the report observed that one example of research has indicated a 320 per cent rise in attacks conducted by individuals affiliated with ‘right-wing terrorism’ between 2014 to 2018, mostly in Western States.” The report also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased attacks perpetrated by far-right groups in recent years.
Yassin Musharbash, an investigative journalist, noted that these groups often have global connections. After attending court proceedings for two neo-Nazis being prosecuted in the Netherlands, he realized that the perpetrators had connections to a U.S. far-right group called The Base. Further digging led to even more. “We managed to get leaks from internal chats in the U.S [and] digitized all of that and made it searchable. We also did social media investigations on one German who worked [with] Ukrainian neo-Nazis and helped them recruit,” he said.
To find these connections, Musharbash recommends not only attending court proceedings, but keeping tabs of online venues where coalitions of far-right groups often gather. "There are certain places where [far-right extremists] hang out, and these places change all the time, making it difficult to keep track of where they are. Journalists should keep an eye out for these chat rooms, forums and billboards."
Right-wing extremists are dangerous and present a threat to both national security and the personal safety of journalists, and as such it’s not business-as-usual to report on the threats as completely as possible. Musharbash recommends caution via support of other journalists. "You never know what kind of threats you might experience when you meet with these folks,” he said. “[In one] instance, one of my colleagues who was looking into neo-Nazis insisted on going for a solo walk in the mountains [with the neo-Nazis for an interview]. This presented a bit of a security challenge because we wanted to make sure our reporter was safe. We had a security protocol in place who checked in every 30 minutes to send us a signal that he was okay."
Musharbash also recommended staying in touch with local law enforcement and knowing where the nearest places to get help are while pursuing your investigation. The far-right often condones and even pushes for violence to meet their ends, which is why investigating them or interacting with individuals or groups from far-right movements is so unpredictable. Far-right extremists were responsible for several mass shootings in the U.S. in 2022, including the shootings at Club Q in Colorado Springs and at a Buffalo supermarket. The perpetrators in both cases clung to far-right conspiracy theories.
Journalists must report on far-right ideology without platforming it, according to Musharbash. “It is possible to write about what these people believe without helping them get recruits. Quite the opposite, it helps to raise the awareness of how big the problem is,” he said. Presenting the talking points in far-right ideology alongside clear, concise facts that plainly state what the truth is and contextualizing why far-right talking points have gotten so out of hand is tantamount to reversing the problem. Far-right extremists usually subscribe to conspiracy theories that cast them in some sort of hero’s role against a large and ambiguous enemy, a reflection of a shifting culture in an increasingly global society. Additionally, the role of anti-government politicians and fallout from both the Cold War and the War In Iraq play a large role in the genesis of these conspiracy theories. While this context is extremely important, the last thing any journalist wants to do is give these theories or any far-right talking points a “leg to stand on,” so to speak.
The situation continues to deteriorate worldwide. As journalists get ready for the fight of their lives, continued commitment to truth and the power that comes with shining a light on the far-right will give society the tools it needs to weather the storms of far-right attacks on our citizens and our values.
