The role of citizen journalism in spreading rumors through digital platforms: a field study on Palestinian university students

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Leadership and managment . Communication. USIM. Nelai. Malaysia.

2 Communication Department,, Faculty of Leadership and Management (FKP), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Abstract

This research explores the landscape of citizen journalism in Palestine, aiming primarily to assess its prevalence within Palestinian society and scrutinize its impact, particularly through electronic platforms, as perceived by Palestinian university students. The central focus is on investigating the proliferation of electronic rumors. To achieve this goal, the study relied on data collected from three universities in Palestine: Hebron University, Birzeit University, and An-Najah University. The sample population was selected using the simple random sampling technique. A total of 378 questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate students at these institutions, chosen based on their willingness to participate and availability. Regarding the theoretical framework, this study was based on the Content production theory and the amateur and the post-truth era model. The researcher employed a descriptive-analytical approach, and the study yielded compelling findings indicating significant scores across all dimensions related to the role of citizen journalism in disseminating electronic rumors through electronic platforms, as perceived by Palestinian university students. The results showed statistically significant differences among students due to social diversity, age, and the geographical location of the university. Consequently, the researcher proposed several recommendations, emphasizing the imperative for official media outlets to prioritize the acquisition, dissemination, and verification of news and information, underpinned by stringent laws from authoritative bodies, thereby curtailing the propensity for citizen journalism to dominate in monitoring events and news dissemination, which often lacks credibility.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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