Yemeni Journalists’ Dependency on Social Media Networks as a Source of News during Wars and Crises: An Empirical Study on the “Decisive Storm”.

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the extent to which Yemeni journalists depend on Social Media Networks “SMN” as a source of news during war and crises. The study used the “Decisive Storm” as a model. Fifty-nine Yemeni broadcast, print and online journalists were surveyed during January 2017. The findings show the journalists’ high dependency on the Internet in general, particularly on SMN for seeking news and information on domestic and local events, including the ongoing war in Yemen during the time this research was being carried out.

Journalists mostly depend on Facebook for getting news, followed by WhatsApp and Twitter. The study discloses that peer journalists’ accounts on Facebook, followed by cyber activists’ accounts then civic activists’ accounts are the most visited pages by respondents. Journalists expressed highly positive attitudes toward SMN’s role in journalistic work. However, they also told of their concerns surrounding the threats those networks may represent to journalism’s principals and news values. The study emphasizes the importance of integrating media literacy courses in schools and universities’ curricular to develop analytical and critical thinking in the subject of new media.