Journalistic Use of WhatsApp: Measuring Perception of Journalists in Islamabad

Abstract

This study attempts to explore the view of the local journalists regarding the use of WhatsApp as a news-gathering and sharing forum. Under such ambitious circumstances, many are associated with the profession of media, so the study envisions probing their working practices in the age of the internet in order to understand and identify possibilities that could make their work easy and result in the promotion of ethical, unbiased, objective and informed reporting. The study also explores the main factors behind the use of WhatsApp as a news-gathering tool by the journalists and what features of WhatsApp are most regarded by the journalists. Moreover, it measures the frequency of WhatsApp use by local journalists for processing news stories and comprehends the level of confidence media professionals have in the chat application. The study is quantitative research. It has used the primary data gathered through a questionnaire from the targeted population (207 male and female journalists and reporters based in Islamabad) using a survey research method. A non-probability sampling technique is used while the data is gathered using a research questionnaire comprised of close-ended questions with five-point Likert scale responses. The study finds that the majority of the respondents (local journalists) rely on WhatsApp Messenger for the purpose of gathering and sharing news; they valued its prominent features, perceived it as a trustworthy tool for information sharing and shared confidence in its security and authenticity as well as the reliability of the information received through it. The study also finds that in the current age of technology, the use of advanced tools for gathering and sharing newsworthy information is inevitable for media professionals.