MEDIA RELATIONS AS A STRATEGIC TOOL TO MANAGE AND CONFRONT EXTERNAL RUMORS IN THE PALESTINIAN JUSTICE SECTOR رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated media relations as a strategic tool to manage and confront external rumors in the Palestinian Justice Sector institutions and how media and public relations practitioners employ them. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the reality of media relations in the justice sector, highlight its significance as a strategic tool, and, most importantly, how to employ media relations strategies sufficiently and effectively. The researcher achieved the aim of this study by building the interview questions on (a) the assumptions of inoculation theory as a defensive plan to manage external rumors, (b) the multiple levels of the Mediating Model to focus on the relationship with journalists and their media firms, (c) the assumptions of image restoration theory as an attack plan to confront external rumors. Furthermore, this study conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews and chose purposive sampling to interview experienced media relations and public relations practitioners serving at the Palestinian Justice Sector. The constant comparative method was used for interview analysis, in which the collected data were categorized in accordance to the assumptions of each theory, then the categories were interpreted into themes. The main finding of this study revealed that the majority of the institutions of the Palestinian Justice Sector lacks a clarity in media relations strategies regarding managing and confronting external rumors. In addition, most of the interviewees agreed that media and public relations in official Palestinian institutions are weak, absent, and marginalized and that the practitioners lack powers and free space. Furthermore, the findings uncovered many externals constraints and obstacles that hinder the flow of work in legal institutions and they are beyond the control of the practitioners V in Justice Sector institutions, most significant examples are bureaucracy, legal limitations of publishing, the absence of Legislative Council and last but not least, the Israeli Occupation