The Employment of Digital Infographics in Journalistic Design for Covering Middle East Conflicts and Its Impact on Audience Behavior: An Analytical Study of the Sky News Arabia Platform via Instagram

Abstract

This study aimed to deconstruct the mechanisms of utilizing infographics as a visual storytelling tool in light of algorithmic curation determinants, and to monitor its implications on digital audience engagement and behavior. The study falls under descriptive research, adopting the analytical approach through a content analysis form (covering visual, algorithmic, and engagement categories) applied to a purposive sample of (40) military and mapping infographics published on the official Instagram account of "Sky News Arabia" on the Instagram platform, during a four-month timeframe in 2026. The study revealed several key findings, most notably: the dominance of the multi-image carousel pattern in the first place by (70%), and the preference for full portrait dimensions (4:5) on publishing templates by (72.5%). This statistical superiority came in response to the platform's programmatic requirements to prolong dwell time and capture attention. Furthermore, a statistically significant correlation (using Chi-Square test) indicated that providing the user with a "highly rich informative" graphic product stimulates their immediate behavioral response and directs the narrative style toward an explanatory approach to complex geopolitical crises in the Middle East. The study recommends the necessity of qualifying Arabic journalistic cadres and understanding the mechanisms of artificial intelligence and digital filtration networks to merge graphic design aesthetics with newly established algorithmic standards.