Trends of University Professors towards the Role of Social Networking Websites in Shaping Public Opinion about the Security Crises

Abstract

Social networking sites represent one of the modern communication technologies that have contributed to the expression of public opinion trends towards various events and crises of which security crisis is most important being characterized by its ability to influence the community life of the public. In order to recognize its role in shaping opinions of the educated class of the public that is characterized by a high level of knowledge, culture and having experience in dealing with the media. Its advantage is that they have an active audience by expressing their views on the situations, events, and news published on them as well as expressing their attitudes and sympathy with the events. So a number of questions are included in the questionnaire form to identify the Iraqi academic elite's attitudes towards the role of social network sites in the formation of electronic public opinion towards security crises that Iraqi society has witnessed. By distributing the questionnaire to 112 of academic lecturer of various specializations and scientific titles, the researcher has come up with a number of results:
1-lecturers at Iraqi universities use Facebook in a percentage of 92%
2-Most of the Iraqi academic elite user social networking sites for three hours every day
3-The statement “expressing public opinion towards various security events and crises” has taken the first place in a percentage of 90% ranking as the most important communicative advantages achieved when using the social networking sites.