Title: The use and impact of media during the 2008 global financial crisis: a media-user perspective

Authors: Ali A. Al-Kandari; Lee Golden Caldwell; Nabi Alduwaila

Addresses: Mass Communication Department, Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), P.O. Box 7207, Hawally, 32093, Kuwait ' College of Business Administration, Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), P.O. Box 7207, Hawally 32093, Kuwait ' Department of Accounting, College of Business Studies, The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, P.O. Box 43197, Hawally 32046, Kuwait

Abstract: This study examines the impact of media exposure and reasons for media engagement from a media-user perspective on the level of trust in the government, the economy and the future in Kuwait during the 2008 international financial crisis. The study revealed that respondents used media for reasons of future prediction, general knowledge, solution seeking, advice seeking and crisis impact. Hierarchal regression analyses indicate that trust in the media positively predicted all criterion variables. The use of media to estimate the Crisis Impact predicts trust in the economy. Newspaper use predicts faith in the economy and the future and surfing the internet only predicts trust in the economy. General exposure to the media negatively predicts trust in the economy and the future. The study discusses the power of the communicator-centred and audience-centred approaches in predicting attitudes and beliefs during times of crises.

Keywords: media use; gratification; Kuwait; global financial crisis; media impact; trust; media exposure; media engagement; newspaper use; internet surfing; attitudes; beliefs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBCRM.2013.058406

International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management, 2013 Vol.4 No.3, pp.246 - 265

Received: 17 Jun 2013
Accepted: 19 Aug 2013
Published online: 31 Mar 2014 *

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