The role of digital media in the strategies of far-right vigilante groups in Slovakia

ABSTRACT Based on two small-scale case studies, this paper discusses the supportive role of digital media in the practices of far-right vigilante groups in Slovakia and describes their political nature, motives, and the groups that they target instead of targeting crime prevention. Based on theoretical frameworks by Johnston (1996) and Trottier (2017), this paper argues that the contemporary activities of Slovak far-right vigilantes meet the definition criteria of both conventional and digital vigilantism, blurring the distinction between them, as the two types of practices often overlap and interact with each other to a substantial degree. At the same time, it aims to explore and analyse the interactions of the offline and online presence of far-right vigilante groups within the political and social context of Slovakia with a special emphasis on the role digital media play in their campaigns in terms of supplementing, amplifying, and justifying conventional vigilante activities.