Abstract
This study investigates the role of the Internet in protest participation in the Arab world. More specifically, we aim to address three important questions: (1) Does Internet news use increase the chances of protest participation? (2) Does Internet news use amplify or reduce participation gaps that exist among individuals at various socioeconomic strata? (3) How does a country’s press freedom act as a contextual factor to shape the role of the Internet in affecting protest participation gaps? The results based on an analysis of the third wave of Arab Democracy Barometer survey suggest that Internet news use for political purposes increases the likelihood of protest participation in the Arab world while it also deepens socioeconomic stratification in participation. Furthermore, national press freedom shapes the intervening role of the Internet. We discuss the theoretical implications of these findings for political inequality literature and the practical consequences for the Arab world.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1065-1084 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | New Media and Society |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 1 2019 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s) 2019.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Communication
- Sociology and Political Science
Keywords
- Arab world
- participation gap
- political inequality
- political participation
- press freedom
- protest
