Media use predictors of online political efficacy among Internet users in five Arab countries

ABSTRACT

Informed by research on the uses and gratifications of the Internet for political activity, this study examines predictors of online political efficacy among Internet users in five Arab countries (N = 4029): Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Lebanon, Qatar, and the U.A.E. As predicted, variables presumed to be associated with political dissidence in Arab countries – unemployment, distrust of mainstream media, young age, and feeling country is on the wrong track – were not positively associated with online political efficacy. Counter to what was hypothesized, however, Internet reliance and social media use were not strongly or consistently associated with online political efficacy in the five countries. Rather, the strongest predictors of efficacy were a belief in news media credibility, print media use (newspapers, magazines, and books), belief in the reliability of online information, and tolerance of free speech online. Findings align with some prior research on predictors of online political efficacy, but not with common presumptions of the role the Internet plays among Arab publics.

KEYWORDS:

• Online political efficacy
• uses and gratifications
• Internet
• Arab countries
• survey research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Justin D. Martin is an assistant professor in residence in the journalism program at Northwestern University in Qatar. His Ph.D.is from the journalism school at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ralph J. Martins is a graduate of Northwestern University in Qatar.

Shageaa Naqvi is a Journalism major at Northwestern University in Qatar.

Notes

1. Only one entity in Qatar, the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute at Qatar University, is permitted to conduct in-person household surveys in Qatar.

2. Range = 16 (4–20).

3. The Qatari government did not permit the right track/wrong track question.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Qatar Foundation Fund under its National Priorities Research Program [grant number 7-1757-5-261].