ABSTRACT
As the major source of information, social media has outpaced mainstream news channels. In these information overloaded days, differentiating rumors from facts is crucial and difficult. This study aims to explore the respondents' perception of the reasons for spreading rumors related to the Coronavirus on social media. Furthermore, it seeks to look at the respondents' perception of the ways of combating fake news related to the Coronavirus on social media. Lastly, the study attempts to know to what extent the respondents are satisfied with the performance of the media institutions in dealing with the Coronavirus. A cross-sectional survey design was used with a non-probability sample to explore the respondents' perceptions of the above-mentioned aims. A total of 1274 self-selected cases from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates were investigated. The study finds that all respondents agree with the reasons listed in the survey about spreading rumors related to the Coronavirus on social media, except for the reasons of lacking transparency on behalf of the Ministry of Health and other official bodies and lacking accurate information about the Coronavirus. Moreover, the study confirms the respondents' beliefs that all listed ways effectively combat fake news related to the Coronavirus on social media. Furthermore, the study finds that the respondents are satisfied with the performance of the media institutions in dealing with the Coronavirus in their countries. With these findings, the study significantly contributes to the literature. It may assist various parties, such as the government and media organizations, in making the proper decision to combat the spread of rumors via social media.
ABSTRACT
With the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, traditional and new media and social networking sites have become one of the most effective and influential media tools in shaping the perceptions and trends of the Bahraini public. Thus, the objective of this study is to determine the extent of the Bahraini public opinion's follow-up to television programs during the pandemic. In addition, it aims to monitor the perceptions of the Bahraini public regarding the roles that television programs should play during the pandemic. Furthermore, it attempts to determine the perceptions of the Bahraini public regarding television programs' level of commitment to media performance standards during the pandemic. Lastly, it seeks to measure the perceptions of the Bahraini public regarding the level of commitment of television programs to the professional values of media practices during the pandemic. A quantitative and descriptive research design was used to determine TV shows' commitment to social responsibility during the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on forming the massive awareness as perceived by the Bahraini public. Therefore, the questionnaire was distributed electronically with a request to disseminate it further to include as many participants as possible. A total number of 632 Bahrainis completed the online survey. This study revealed that the Bahraini public opinion's follow-up to TV shows during the coronavirus pandemic indicated an increase in viewership. The general average reached 1.96, with a relative percentage (65.50%). Moreover, the study showed the perceptions of the Bahraini public regarding the roles played by TV shows during the pandemic indicated a high percentage of public opinion regarding the Bahraini television performing its functions and roles during the pandemic, where the average reached 3.75, with a relative weight of 75.1%. In addition, the results showed that the perceptions of the public about the level of commitment of television programs to the standards of moral performance and societal values during the coronavirus pandemic indicated the high approval rates of the respondents on this dimension, where the average reached 4.11 with a relative weight of 82.166%. Furthermore, the results indicated that the perceptions of the Bahraini public about the level of commitment of television programs to media performance standards and the values of professional practice during the coronavirus pandemic indicated a high percentage of respondents' approval of this dimension, where the general average reached 3.878 with a relative weight of 77.56%.