ANTAKYA, Turkey — The Islamic State released the latest in a series of propaganda videos on Thursday, a slickly produced introduction to what it promised would be a multipart series on the group and the folly of efforts by the United States to fight it.

The segment is a sharp departure from the Islamic State’s recent grisly videos showing a black-clad executioner beheading Western hostages in the desert, which helped galvanize international support for wider military action against the group.

The new video takes direct aim at a Western audience, and particularly Americans. It features a British hostage, John Cantlie, a journalist who speaks in tones reminiscent of prime-time news. Seated alone at a table in the familiar orange jumpsuit, he promises to explain the Islamic State and persuade viewers that the latest war effort by the United States and its allies would end as badly as their previous interventions in the Middle East.

“Join me for the next few programs, and I think you may be surprised at what you learn,” he said.

Analysts said that the shift in tone from the previous videos sought to gain maximum exposure and showed how attuned the group is to Western sensibilities in crafting its message.