Abstract

The research aims to investigate the interactivity of four Saudi Online Journals. Two of these online journals were the Riyadh and Okaz Online Journals, which are also found in the printed versions. However, the other two journals used in this research paper are the Alweeam and Sabq Journals, which do not have print versions, and are only published online. The data were collected based on an analysis of the existing content and research on the interactivity in the Online Journalism in Saudi Arabia. The study uses a questionnaire, in order to investigate the content of journals and the responses of the readers. The findings of the study demonstrated varying levels of interactivity among study journals. The study also revealed that the online-only journals stimulated more interactivity than online journals with a print version. Two predictors for interactivity were identified with respect to the Riyadh and Okaz Journals: the source of information and the type of journal content (news or commentary). The study revealed a great interactivity for the journals that are online-only. However, the printed journals, which can also be viewed online showed a comparatively lesser interactivity. During the study, the researcher observed two predictors for interactivity in both types of journals. These predictors were the source of information and the type of journal content.           

Key words: Interactivity, Saudi Online Journals, Okaz Journal, Riyadh Journal, Alweeam Online Journal, Sabq Online Journal.