Political polarization in social networking sites and its role in shaping the Egyptian public’s attitudes

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism, Faculty of Mass Communication - Beni Suef University

Abstract

The current political conditions in the Middle East have greatly spread the concept of political polarization. This means that its impact has become more noticeable in the media in general, and new media with its social networking sites, in particular. However, the media could also become a tool for aggression in a way that increases polarization, bias, and political division.
Therefore, this study attempts to identify the state of political polarization presented on the social networking sites, and to what extent it can play a role in shaping the Egyptian public's attitudes regarding the issue of the 2019 constitutional amendments. It applies the Public Sphere Theory and the Conflict Management approach.

Falling under the descriptive and interpretive studies framework, this research paper used the survey methodology on a sample of 800 respondents across 4 different Egyptian governorates. The main results of the study confirmed that social networking sites are the foremost resource for information about constitutional amendments with Facebook topping the list of social media platforms.

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