The Role of Local Digital Journalism in Shaping Jordanian Public Opinion Towards Political Reforms

Abstract

Objectives: This study seeks to understand the role of local digital journalism in shaping Jordanian public opinion towards political reforms.

Methods: The researchers have employed a questionnaire and surveyed a sample of (450) individuals from Jordanian public. The study applies the theory of media system dependency, and it belongs to descriptive studies.

Results: According to the findings, the majority of the respondents (94.2%) have shown different levels of reliance on Jordanian digital Journalism as a source of information about political reforms in Jordan. Each of the following statements: “parliament election law 2022” and “ministerial changes and formations”, have come as the most important topics discussed in the local digital journalism about political reforms.

The research also concludes statistically significant differences between respondents regarding their reliance on Jordanian digital journalism that are specifically related to scientific qualification and party affiliation. Whereas no statically significant differences are shown related to gender, age, or place of residence. The findings demonstrate that there is a relationship between the level of reliance on digital journalism and its role in shaping the Jordanian public opinion towards political reforms as well.

Conclusions: This paper recommends that local digital newspapers should focus on political reforms' topics, and cover different constitutional and legal amendments' procedures that come with these reforms because the majority of respondents depend on it as a source of political information, specifically political reforms in Jordan. The authors also suggest that these local digital newspapers have to offer different standpoints regarding political reforms in Jordan objectively and credibly, in addition to analyzing and interpreting them, as the study critically finds a gap in this matter