Only 31.5% of Israeli Arabs Perceive Social Media as a Reliable Source of War-Related Information, Poll Finds
In a recent poll conducted by Bar-Ilan University, Arab Israelis’ perspectives on war-related information have been unveiled, providing insights into their reliance on various sources, particularly social media. The survey, led by Dr. Gal Yavetz from Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Information Science, follows a similar study among Jewish Israelis and aims to understand the information habits of the diverse population during the ongoing conflict.
Dr. Gal Yavetz. (Courtesy Bar-Ilan University)
Released on December 20, 2023, the study included responses from 146 Arab Israeli adults aged 18 and above, sampled during the seventh week of the war. Notably, 31.5% of respondents identified social media as their most trusted source for war-related information, with journalists and traditional media following closely at 29.5%. This reflects a shifting trend compared to a prior poll among Jewish Israelis, where 73.7% perceived the IDF spokesperson as the most reliable source.
Interestingly, almost half (48.6%) of the surveyed Arab Israelis indicated a reduction in their social media content posting since the outbreak of the war. When asked about the main reasons for consuming news during the conflict, 40% of respondents cited a need for a sense of security, while 28% expressed a desire to ‘stay informed.’
The study, conducted using an internet panel by the iPanel company, sheds light on the varying information consumption patterns among different demographic groups in Israel. It underscores the impact of social media on the dissemination of war-related information among Arab Israelis and highlights the contrast with Jewish Israelis in terms of their perceived reliability of information sources.
