4. Extremist internet memes as a means of persuasion:

This chapter provides an overview of a qualitative rhetorical analysis of internet memes created and disseminated by various extremist groups. We will address the rhetorical nature of memes and provide practicable steps for applying visual rhetorical analysis to unravel their persuasive content, form, and functions. Our approach will be illustrated through the analysis of a communication by the Finnish branch of the Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM). With a view to providing tools for future researchers studying internet memes, we will consider the limitations of rhetorical analysis and the ethical and copyright issues associated with the gathering and use of internet memes as research material.

As its key message, this chapter suggests that paying attention to the visuality of communication is necessary in order to unravel the persuasive nature of memes. While internet memes are typically bound to a certain cultural context (e.g. Finland, Scandinavia), they can simultaneously act as an intercultural means of persuasion (e.g. across European extremist movements). Understanding the immediate rhetorical function of memes requires placing them in the specific context of political and societal discussion in which they were published. Defining the broader ideological work carried out by memes requires delving into their roots and their use in different contexts.