The Psychological and Social Impact of Israeli Occupation Violations on Media Students’ Tendency towards Fieldwork after the Events of October 7, 2023

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the psychological and social impact of Israeli occupation violations on the tendency of media students toward field journalism. The study employed a descriptive-analytical methodology, utilizing an online questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 182 male and female students from the Palestine Technical University across its three branches. The results revealed a statistically significant impact of both the psychological and social effects of Israeli occupation violations on students' tendency toward field journalism. The study found a strong positive correlation between the psychological and social impacts of these violations and students' inclination toward field work. Additionally, the study also revealed that the inclination of media students at Palestine Technical University toward field journalism was reflected in a low arithmetic mean of 2.24, highlighting the challenges they face in this field. Based on these findings, the study recommends the inclusion of specialized courses on the risks of the profession in journalism and media programs at Palestinian universities. It also emphasizes the need to enhance psychological and social support for students to help them cope with the effects of Israeli occupation violations. Furthermore, the study calls for additional research to explore other factors that may influence the inclination of media students toward field work in the context of wars