Frameworks for presenting the image of Jordan in light of its reception of Arab refugees: an analytical study of the BBC website

Abstract

The study stems from a research problem related to the coverage of the refugee issue in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan by international news websites, particularly since this issue is considered one of the central issues. The study problem focused on monitoring the image of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan as a host country for refugees. The study also aimed to reveal the extent of international news websites’ interest in refugee issues in Jordan. The study is classified as a descriptive, analytical, and interpretive study, as it relied on analyzing, monitoring, and describing the phenomenon under investigation. The study adopted the media survey method using a content analysis form. The study population consisted of news materials published on the Arabic-language BBC website during the period from June 1, 2019, to June 30, 2021. The study reached several findings, most notably that health-related refugee issues ranked first among the topics covered by the study website, and that the news correspondent was the most frequently used source in covering these issues. Consequently, news stories and news reports were among the most commonly used journalistic forms, emphasizing the official role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in caring for refugees. The study concluded with several recommendations, most importantly the need to diversify the use of more in-depth journalistic forms in addressing refugee issues, such as investigative journalism and feature stories, in addition to diversifying presentation tools to attract attention and keep pace with technological developments, such as the use of infographics, video graphics, and hyperlinks.