How GCC University Students Get Local News and Information

Abstract

This paper reports a study of the use of local news sources by young people in GCC countries. With the expansion of pan-Arab news services, especially via satellite TV channels, concern has grown that these well-resourced news operations have pulled audiences away from local news suppliers. New research reported here indicates that there is still an appetite for local news and that even young people – who have displayed the greatest enthusiasm for the newer services – will tune into local news services both online and offline. Local services may represent niche markets and cater to specific news interests that have prevailed despite the popularity of pan-Arab news services. 1221 media and communication students completed a survey, reporting how and where they get their news in different GCC regions. The research found that most respondents followed what was happening in their local communities and that their news consumption could be quite varied. Rather than relying on one or two main sources of local news, most respondents reportedly used a wide variety of online and non-online sources depending on which local topic they were seeking information about.