Amazon's TV expansion and ISIS's social media strategy analyzed

Lorenzo Taiuti's editorial examines two anomalies of the internet: Amazon's rapid growth in television and ISIS's success in social media warfare. Amazon, already active in TV for years, is making a leap with $99 subscriptions and 40–55 million subscribers. One of its TV series won five Grammy Awards. The expansion opens possibilities for propaganda, promotion, and online sales of diverse products, from books to diapers to Kalashnikovs. High-profile endorsers like Spike Lee and potential collaborations with Sundance Festival signal a shift in cultural and commercial dynamics. Meanwhile, ISIS is winning the 'social network war' according to Wired, leveraging short, memorable slogans and powerful images that resonate with disenfranchised masses. The article questions why progressive activism online is insufficient, citing guilt over neocolonial wars (Afghanistan, Iraq) but dismissing the Caliphate leader as a bloodthirsty mercenary. It notes the lack of effective counter-narratives, analysis, or actions from groups like Anonymous or figures like Assange.