Newsworthiness and Islam: An Analysis of Values in the Muslim Online Press

Abstract

This study examined how the values of the Islamic faith may have an impact on news reporting in several Middle Eastern nations. An analysis of 1,773 stories from 10 online Middle Eastern newspapers indicated that Islam as a way of life has an effect on how domestic news was structured in the presentation of news topic, the actors in the news, the positive or negative orientation of the news, and the use of sources. Previous explanations of newsworthiness in Middle Eastern societies that do not consider the impact of Islamic values may be incomplete in their evaluation of the press.

Keywords:

• Culture and News
• International Journalism
• Islam
• Middle Eastern Press
• News Content
• News Values
• Newsworthiness
• Online Journalism

Notes

Note. Percentages do not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Note. χ²(9, N = 1,773) = 741.223, p < .001.

χ²(4, N = 1,773) = 147.349, p < .001.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Charles W. Elliott

Charles W. Elliott (Ph.D., Temple University, 1994) is a professor and chair of the Department of Communication Arts at Cedarville University.

Clark F. Greer

Clark F. Greer (Ph.D., Bowling Green State University, 2000) is a professor in the Department of Communication & Theatre at Point Loma Nazarene University.