Methodology Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Methodology - Dissertation Example I will use the gatekeeping theory from mass communication in this dissertation. The news, articles and editorials published during the period of February 14 till March 16, 2011 in the above two Saudi news papers will be searched out, read and analyzed to see how the Bahrain news was handled by the Saudi press. Thorough interviews will be conducted with the news handlers at each of the newspapers, with pertinent questions including the criteria for selecting the news, the sources from which they collect it, what kind of news they prefer to publish and whether or not the selection criteria have changed over the years.It will be important to establish whether outside influences, such as the government, alter the decision of whether or not to publish certain news items such as the Bahrain protest. These two newspapers will be compared against each other, making it easier to establish how appropriate the reported news is. All of the contents in the selected newspapers will be compared wit h those of the print media, electronic media or both. This process will help in checking the relevance of the news media in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, both of the newspapers’ operations will be investigated from the starting point to the finished product, as it is important to know exactly what happens to the raw data obtained by the news gatherers before it is finally published as a piece of information for readers. These observations will focus on each procedure undertaken in order to modify the news, from identifying the original source from which the news was obtained to how the news is presented to its readers. Finally, the factors that influence whether a piece of news is published or not must be highlighted. Working through this methodology will make it easier to see how the news is shaped in Saudi Arabia, and whether any fabrication exists. It will also provide insights into whether the news selection criteria has changed over the years, and if being a Muslim country changes the views of those responsible for selecting news and presenting it to readers. In addition, the problematic areas will be highlighted to enable the presentation of suitable and practical solutions. It will be important to identify the kinds of problems that can be addressed, and those that cannot be eradicated from the news selection procedure. In short, two research methodologies will be used in the study namely, interviews with the Saudi media journalists and the content analysis of the Saudi press that will include Alriyadh and Alyoum newspapers. Moreover, the theory of gatekeeping will be adopted as an analytical approach to study this process. 1.1. Interview Procedure Questions were developed in order to acquire a critical analysis, from the participants, of the coverage of the Bahrain events by the Saudi press. The questions were formulated with the objective to draw on the participants’ observation of the major Saudi institutions from politics, police, militar y and press. The important questions to be asked in the interview are provided below: 1. Please, rate the job done by the Saudi Press in covering the Bahraini events, particularly at the time of occurrence of the conflict? (Please select only one): (a) Excellent ---------( ) (b) Good ------------- ( ) (c) Fair --------------- ( ) (d) Not good ---------( ) 2. Please, justify your above selection: 3. Which media in Saudi