The Credibility of Television Channels During the Coronavirus Crisis

(Ramez Mohammad Darweesh Abuhasirah)

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Abstract

The study aimed to identify the levels of credibility of Jordanian government and private television channels, and their degrees of commitment to the criteria of credibility, during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. It also aimed to reveal the degrees and types of changes in the credibility ratings of these channels before and during the crisis. The study relied on surveying the media audience as a research method, and it used a questionnaire as a data collection tool. The study sample represented a cross section of all Jordanians who were 18 years of age or older; a quota sample of 420 respondents was selected, divided equally among the three regions of Jordan (North, Central, and South). The results of the study showed that the most important credibility criteria adhere to by Jordanian government and private television channels were these: ‘depending on media professionals with experience and high competence’, ‘working for the public good’ and ‘relying on professional and ethical principles’. The government channel AlMamlaka topped the list of Jordanian television channels with the highest credibility among respondents. Roya Channel was shown to be the Jordanian television channel with the highest change in credibility ratings during the Coronavirus crisis.


KEYWORDS
Health crises, satellite TV, persuasion, misinformation, trustworthiness, COVID-19

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