Attitude of Anbar University Students towards Al Jazeera’s Media Coverage of the Events in Gaza in 2023: A Field Study

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims primarily to assess the attitudes of University of Anbar students toward Al Jazeera’s media coverage of the Gaza 2023 events. Specific objectives include evaluating the frequency of students’ exposure to this coverage, identifying motivations for following it, and examining their cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to Al Jazeera’s reporting on these events.

Methods: A survey method was employed, with data gathered through a structured questionnaire administered to a purposive sample of 400 University of Anbar students.

Results: The findings reveal that students' cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to Al Jazeera’s coverage of the Gaza events in 2023 were largely positive. A significant correlation was observed between the intensity of exposure to Al Jazeera’s coverage and students' attitudes toward it.

Conclusions: The study found that over half of the students watched Al Jazeera’s coverage of the Gaza events for one to two hours daily (53.5%), with 55.25% tuning in two to three times per day. The primary motivation for following this coverage, cited by 23.6% of respondents, was Al Jazeera’s real-time broadcast of events, including documentation of aggression and losses in Gaza. Significant differences in attitudes were also noted based on demographic variables such as gender, college type, and place of residence. Furthermore, a positive correlation exists between the level of students’ exposure to Al Jazeera’s coverage and their overall attitudes toward it.