The Implications of E-Governance Topics on Iraqi Newspaper Websites for Shaping Public Attitudes Towards Government Performance: An Analytical Study of the Websites of Al-Sabah, Al-Zaman, and Tariq Al-Shaab as Models A Research Paper Submitted by

Abstract

This study aims to identify how e-governance topics are handled by Iraqi press websites and the extent of their impact on shaping public attitudes towards government performance in Iraq. This is to understand the mechanisms and types of treatment used by the websites under study for the digital topics presented and focused on by Iraqi press websites, in order to identify the dimensions of their reflection on usage areas and transparency of dealing with them, and to introduce the electronic services provided to the public. Therefore, the researcher considered e-governance topics as important subjects worthy of study and analysis, as they are modern services used by both the government and citizens, playing a role in developing the performance and work of government bodies and institutions using new technology. They are also considered one of the newly introduced digital programs in Iraq in terms of implementation, which have been addressed in Iraqi media after their topics were launched within the government program. Electronic press websites have played a clear role in transmitting these programs and guiding the public across all parts of Iraq. Hence, this research came to identify the nature of the reflection of topic coverage on Iraqi press websites on public attitudes. The researcher used a questionnaire as a tool to collect data and information from the public through systematic and organized methods. Therefore, the field study was conducted on a sample of (400 individuals from the public), Due to the impossibility of conducting a comprehensive enumeration of the study population and the difficulty of reaching all its members, the researcher conducted the study on a purposive sample of (205) individuals who are users of Iraqi electronic newspaper websites and were exposed to e-governance topics during the period from (July 11, 2025) to (September 24, 2025). They were distributed electronically via a pre-determined electronic link by the researcher, The researcher focused on this sample considering it the available population that could be reached to meet her research requirements, as it is part of the original population and is the most suitable, representative, and easy for collecting data related to the study topic. The field study was based on answering the main question, "What are the reflections of e-governance topics on Iraqi press websites on shaping public attitudes towards government performance?" The study's objectives reflected the specific sub-questions outlined by the researcher to encompass the dimensions of her problem from all its aspects. The study reached a number of conclusions as follows:

1. The results showed that electronic press websites contribute to helping the (public) receive good information and data related to digital issues, reflecting their cognitive role as an important source of information. The results also revealed that Al-Sabah newspaper came at the forefront of the most followed press websites, followed by Al-Zaman newspaper, reflecting the (public's) reliance on the most up-to-date and widely circulating journalistic content websites.

2. The results showed that the (public's) motives for using electronic press websites depend on their speed in publishing news and following digital events, which increases the public's reliance on these websites as trusted news sources, thereby enhancing their confidence in them.

3. The results showed that the distribution of interest areas came according to their importance, as focus was placed on the political field, thus it came at the forefront of other fields that interest the public, followed by the social field and then the economic field, reflecting the concentration of their interest on issues related to public affairs.

4. The results revealed that the (public) follows digital issues to achieve a number of basic and cognitive needs, to satisfy those needs in a specific and direct manner, confirming that their reliance on electronic press websites came to satisfy those needs related to digital information.

5. The results showed that the main digital topics and some of their sub-topics captured clear attention from the recipient public. In contrast, it was found that there was weak interest in the remaining topics less connected to their direct interests.