7. Discussion

This chapter delves into the critical gap in the current discourse on counter- and alternative narrative (CAN) campaigns against extremism, highlighting the under-explored potential of narrative persuasion research. It argues that despite the assumption that narrative campaigns are vital to counter extremist narratives, existing CAN campaigns often lack a solid theoretical foundation and engagement with narrative persuasion literature. The chapter identifies key concepts from narrative persuasion research that can significantly enhance CAN campaigns, including the importance of high-quality storytelling, audience characteristics, and story elements that facilitate persuasive effects. It provides a detailed analysis of how these concepts can be integrated into the practical design of CAN campaigns, offering insights into message development, messenger selection, medium choice, and audience targeting. The chapter also addresses the skepticism surrounding the use of fictional narratives in CAN campaigns, discussing the ethical and practical implications and providing case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of storytelling in preventing and countering extremism. Furthermore, it explores the potential of analyzing CAN campaigns from a storytelling perspective, offering a new analytical angle that can deepen our understanding of the narrative experiences created by these campaigns. The chapter concludes by discussing the broader implications of these findings for political communication and the future of CAN campaigns, emphasizing the need for a more thorough engagement with storytelling and narrative persuasion research to improve the effectiveness of CAN campaigns against extremism.