Why have tens of thousands of people from around the world chosen to live under the Islamic State’s draconian rule and fight under its black flag? To understand this phenomenon, we must recognize that the world of radical Islam is not just death and destruction. It also encompasses fashion, music, poetry, dream interpretation. In short, jihadism offers its adherents a rich cultural universe in which they can immerse themselves.

They look like scenes from a Hollywood movie. [...] Underneath the images, a track of soulful music enhances his emotional plea. But this video isn't from Hollywood. It's from ISIS. The Islamic State's online recruitment is so powerful that the U.S. government is having a difficult time counteracting it, according to experts who study efforts by both sides.

The State Department wants to increase collaboration with the private sector and push for more data analytics on what is and is not working in its efforts to counter the Islamic State online, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel said at a New America Foundation event on Dec. 16.

It is clear that America cannot prevail with hard power alone, yet since the closing of the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) back in 1999, America’s capacity to participate in the global battle of ideas has declined, even as the information challenges continue to grow and change. Both of the areas USIA used to oversee — public diplomacy and international broadcasting — urgently need renewed focus and resources.

Despite increasing efforts by western governments and social media providers to counter ISIS online, ISIS  continues to produce and disseminate large quantities of ideologically inspired audio visual content and information.

Politicians and some technologists say that [ISIS accounts], and hundreds just like it, show how Silicon Valley’s efforts to crack down on the use by terrorists of social media have been toothless [...] On Sunday, Hillary Clinton [...] called on tech companies to become more aggressive. “Resolve means depriving jihadists of virtual territory, just as we work to deprive them of actual territory,” she told an audience [...]