Ahmed Mansoori

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes embedded in newsroom operations, organizations invest in AI readiness on the assumption that preparedness travels with successful outcomes. Readiness frameworks typically aggregate diverse outcomes into composite performance measures, leaving it unclear whether readiness explains each equally well. This study examines the explanatory scope of institutional AI readiness in UAE newsrooms using a cross-sectional survey of a purposive sample of 336 media professionals. Three collection streams were harmonized and outcomes analyzed separately rather than aggregated. The seven readiness indicators showed high internal consistency (α = 0.919) and a dominant first component accounting for 67.7% of item variance; the four conceptual domains behind the instrument were not recovered as separable dimensions, a pattern that may partly reflect a general evaluative disposition toward the organization. A one-standard-deviation increase in readiness was associated with 2.59 times higher odds of deeper adoption (95% CI [1.88, 3.56]) and with greater training provision and perceived return on AI investment, but not with practitioners’ perceived quality of Arabic-language AI output, measured with a single item (ρ = 0.097). Because one readiness indicator concerns current AI use, all estimates were re-estimated without it: the odds ratio was 2.38 (95% CI [1.74, 3.25]), the organizational associations remained significant, and the association with perceived Arabic-language output quality remained non-significant (ρ = 0.095). Institutional readiness, therefore, appears to have a bounded explanatory domain in these data, showing stronger associations with organizational implementation outcomes than with perceived output quality. Because the design is cross-sectional and not all respondents answered outcome items, these are statements of association, not of effect. Studies relying on composite measures may overstate their explanatory reach.

Objectives: The main goal of the study was to answer the fundamental question of how leading global news websites depicted a non-Western country like Saudi Arabia in their journalistic coverage from January to June 2023. Methods: Drawing upon framing theory, this study employed qualitative content analysis to analyze news texts related to the image of Saudi Arabia. The initial coding began with a literature review to identify the necessary analysis categories for conducting a qualitative content analysis. The analysis was conducted on a purposive sample, covering the period from January to the end of May 2023, with 207 news stories about Saudi Arabia on the websites of CNN and BBC News. Results:. Saudi Arabia was portrayed positively and extensively as a country that supports conflict resolution in the region, cares about the welfare of its society by promoting events and sports activities, and is economically strong in international investment and energy. However, Saudi Arabia was depicted as not respecting human rights and interfering in the affairs of other countries, as reflected in the negative news coverage about Saudi Arabia on the study's websites. Conclusions: This study utilized framing theory and qualitative content analysis to examine how leading news websites framed Saudi Arabia from January to June 2023. While positive narratives emphasized Saudi Arabia's role in conflict resolution, societal welfare, and economic strength, negative narratives highlighted concerns regarding human rights and interference in the affairs of other countries. These results underscore the complexity of media framing and the presentation of diverse perspectives in international journalistic coverage of non-Western countries.

This paper studied the United Arab Emirates universities’ social media branding strategies based on an investigation of their performances on Twitter. Content analysis was conducted to examine universities’ tweet topics, image subjects, languages, and engagement features. The effectiveness of strategies is investigated by analyzing audience engagement metrics. We also compared social media strategies between private and public universities. Results indicated a discrepancy between universities’ branding efforts, audience preferences on social media, and different strategies between public and private universities. The study offered insights into how academic institutions can optimize the use of social media platforms in building their reputation amid intense competition locally and globally.

This study examines how United Arab Emirates (UAE) national newspapers reported on sustainable development goals (SDGs) following the country’s announcement that it would host COP28 climate change summit in 2023. We analyzed the content of a systematic random sample of news articles published in leading Arabic and English language newspapers over a one-year period. Results indicate that sustainable development issues, particularly related to the environment and economy, were covered widely and mostly positively, and were framed in the context of achievements rather than challenges. We also observed significant differences in SDG reporting between the two newspapers selected for our study. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are discussed.