الكفاية المهنية للصحافيين الرياضيين في الصحافة المطبوعة و الإلكترونية السعودية

Abstract EN

This study examines the levels of professional efficiency among the sport journalists in the print and online newspapers in Saudi Arabia, with the aim of providing insights into how the professional efficiency is perceived by Saudi reporters in general and the sport journalists in particular.

Professional efficiency in this study means the belief of a journalist in his professional abilities and the sense that his professional activates would influence the public opinion and the public affairs.

This study utilized the same scale of professional efficiency that developed by Justin D, Martin in 2011 who has examined this scale on the Arab American reporters in American news organizations.

As some parts in the world, Sport journalism in Saudi Arabia among the local and Arab audiences arguably described as the source of sever sensationalism that would cause hooliganism.

In addition, some journalists and media specialists’ argue that some sport journalists suffer from the lack of professionalism and journalism ethics as they within their work at some media serve their loved sport teams rather than observe the journalism principles.

These issues reveal the need to study the status of sport journalism in Saudi Arabia and how journalists believe in their professional abilities that would encourage them to influence the public opinion and affairs.

The study examines the professional efficiency in four levels including the internal and external levels as Justin D, Martin (2011).

However, in this study, the researcher added two more levels to investigate the professional efficiency of the Saudi sport journalists by considering the factors that would influence their belief of their abilities which might emerge by the Saudi media environment and the sport journalism practice in the country.

It should be mentioned that Saudi media system in general differs from other media system especially those are not in the Middle East or the Arab world since such factor including political, professional, and cultural would affect media.

It is hoped that, by drawing on data collected from the questionnaire, this research will provide a useful information and understanding about the Saudi sport journalists’ professional efficiency and the difference between the print and online journalists in this regard.

90 journalists from 13 print newspapers and the same number from online newspapers participated in this study.