The relationship between information and communication technology and the field of print journalism and its manifestations in the context of Qatar

Abstract

The way in which the news are perceived, gathered, produced, disseminated, and consumed changes in the context of modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Modern technologies, such as the Internet, e-mail, mobile phone, specialized software, etc., led to the reformulation of the practices of the production, dissemination, and consumption of the news. These technologies provide journalists with an unlimited access to information on any subject, enable them to collect news from every nook and corner of the globe, and send them to their places of work quite easily. ICT has transformed the practices in the area of print journalism in a profound way in all parts of the world and the State of Qatar was not an exception. We want through this research to address the relationship between ICT and the field of print journalism in Qatar, explore the positive and negative effects of this technology on this area, and make recommendations that may be useful in the State of Qatar and elsewhere in this regard. We do this through an extensive study across a large number of references that touched on this subject in Qatar and at the global level. We also show the results of a questionnaire about the manifestations of this relationship in Qatar and about the extent of people’s awareness of it. The results of this research indicate that ICT plays an important role in promoting press institutions, facilitating the work of journalists, and bringing significant benefits to the reader. There are also challenges, risks, and disadvantages that arise when considering the interaction between the field of print journalism and ICT. It is also noteworthy that the relationship between ICT and print journalism is worth pursuing and researching, as there are many points that need clarification and deeper study, especially because ICT is steadily developing.