Iraqi Investors' Reliance on News Websites and Its Role in Shaping Their Economic Decisions:A Field Study at the Iraq Stock Exchange

Abstract

The research problem centers on the primary question: "To what extent do Iraqi investors rely on news websites, and what role does this play in shaping their economic decisions?"

The study aims to:

- Investigate the potential relationship between the demographic characteristics of Iraqi investors and the patterns of how news content influences their economic decision-making.

- Identify the key habits and patterns Iraqi investors follow when using news websites.

This is a descriptive study; the researcher employed a survey methodology using a questionnaire. The research population consisted of Iraqi investors active in financial markets, and a purposive sample of 441 respondents was selected. The study yielded several key findings, most notably:

1. The vast majority of investors follow the news on a daily basis.

2Males—particularly young investors and those with limited experience—are the most active participants in financial markets, by a significant margin compared to other demographic segments.

3. Investors prefer international websites as news sources, with the accuracy of information being the most critical factor in their choice of source.

4. A website's credibility is the primary driver for an investor's decision to rely on it.

5. The majority of investors verify news and check whether the source is official.

6. Economic news—specifically regarding government policies—attracts the highest level of interest, followed by political news and then security-related news.

7. The results revealed a statistically significant correlation between investors' reliance on news websites and the cognitive, affective, and behavioral influences on their economic decision-making.