Crises Determine Preference and Media Credibility

Abstract

This study examines how university students in Iraq perceive credibility and their media preferences during the protests. The research found that the students' political views influenced their choices and perceptions, leading them to shift from traditional media like television, radio, and newspapers to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook used by the protesters. The study used Cede Gaziano and Kristin McGrath's credibility analysis factors, which include importance, fairness, bias, accuracy, completeness, and trust, to survey a sample of Iraqi undergraduate students before and after the protests. The results showed a significant change in students' perceptions of credibility and their reliance on traditional media versus social media after the start of the protests.