Repetitive Isis hostage escape la cks a real impact

They’ve dwindled away in recent times, as more and more of Islamic State’s leading lights fall victim to US drone strikes. But there was a time – roughly two years ago – when news of the latest gruesome Isis hostage beheading was as commonplace a sight on social media as this week’s stage-managed celebrity feud.

The template was simple. The days and weeks of photos of the captive being drip-fed to the media, ...