Economic and Political Motives Affecting the Maximum Attraction of the Audience of Iraqi Political Television Programs

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the economic and political motives influencing the maximum attraction of audiences to Iraqi political television programs. A mixed-method (qualitative–quantitative) and descriptive-survey design was applied. In the qualitative phase, structured interviews were conducted with 14 experts in television and political-economic programming to identify key motivational components. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population included 8,000 viewers of Iraqi political television programs, with a sample size of 383 determined using Morgan’s table. A questionnaire derived from the qualitative findings was administered. Content validity was confirmed by expert judgment, and face validity was assessed through specialist review. Reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha (economic factors α = 0.73; political factors α = 0.87). Data were analyzed with SPSS22 and SMART PLS using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to validate the constructs and model fit. Results revealed multiple economic motives, including awareness of the effects of political decisions on daily life, reduced investment risk, evaluation of government policy impact on employment, and understanding the level of support for small and medium-sized enterprises. Political motives involved obtaining accurate and up-to-date information about political developments, analyzing pre- and post-crisis events, and equipping viewers with tools to interpret and respond to social and political changes. The conceptual models showed strong explanatory power for maximum audience attraction, with R² values of 0.984 for economic factors and 0.956 for political factors. Identifying and addressing economic and political motivations can inform more effective media strategies to increase audience engagement and loyalty to political television programs in Iraq.