Winds of change in the Arab world: a comparative look at a political gratification and effects study of the Al-Jazeera satellite channel and Kuwaiti government television

Abstract

A telephone survey was conducted of Kuwaiti citizens' preferences for two types of national news programmes. Of the 490 Kuwaiti respondents, about 82 viewed the Al-Jazeera satellite channel (JSC), a liberal television model that provides news and political programming, while 98 watched the news and political programmes on Kuwaiti Television (KTV), a government television model. Two factor analyses comparing gratifications sought and obtained from the two television models revealed that Kuwaitis were similarly gratified by both, but ranked importance and magnitude differently. While regression tests and partial correlations revealed that trust in the Kuwaiti government correlated with all gratifications obtained by watching KTV, they did not correlate with any of the gratifications obtained by viewing JSC. Political apathy was negatively predicted by the quality of the JSC's news coverage and by programme gratification, while it was positively predicted by the KTV's free provision of information. Endorsement of the establishment of political parties in Kuwait was predicted by the JSC's information gratification. The study concluded that the programming made available through the JSC might seriously provide the impetus for change in the Arab world.