Jordan Media Institute - Amman
Jordan Media Institute (JMI), hosted its first remote Master’s thesis defense in its Journalism and New Media program last Wednesday. The thesis addressed the effects of digital media outlets on investment decisions within Jordan’s financial sector.
Despite the shutdown that Jordan has implemented to confront the spread of the novel coronavirus, JMI has continued its education programs remotely, like other academic institutions, with an intensive program of lectures and workshops according to the academic calendar. In keeping with that calendar, JMI held its first Master’s thesis defense through video conference, with a committee of four members in different cities. Master’s student Sahel al-Otoum presented his study, in which he investigated the connection between the economic and financial information that is shared on modern media platforms - specifically social media, websites, and smartphone apps - and the decisions that investors make on the Jordanian stock market.
The study found that 60% of investors in Amman’s financial market use social media, and 40% for specialized websites, to get economic and financial data and information that would help them in making their investment decisions.
With more than 50% of investors in Amman’s financial market using Facebook to get opinions, comments, and advice to inform their investment decisions, the study found that it is the most-used social media site for this purpose.
In the same vein, the Amman Stock Exchange website came in at the top of the list as the most-used specialized website for investors in the financial market. The study revealed that 78% of investors use the site to get news, data, and information to help them make investment decisions.
Otoum’s study also found that respondents use social media sites in order to get economic and financial announcements, information, and news that shape their investment decisions. 34% of them reported using these sites to get opinions and comments about investors’ confidence in a particular institution.
The study argued that it was necessary for companies that offer their shares in the market to introduce websites that share their financial information and announcements and provide technical analysis of their listed shares, to assist investors in making their investment decisions.