A survey conducted by the Department of Tactical Affairs and Security Media, in the General Secretariat of the Office of H.H. Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior, revealed that the internet surpassed other means of communication as a major source for accessing police information at all segments of the public in addition to all nationalities and ages. The proportion was 56% compared to paper press, showing a 25% of preference over TV channels which came third with 11%, and finally radio with 8%.
The study was titled: “The favorite media outlets for obtaining police news and information” and included a number of goals such as: benefiting from indicators and results in the continuing processes of developing the channels used by the police in communicating with all segments of the public and specifically identifying the successive developments of electronic media.
The study aims to identify the trends and habits that follow obtaining information about the police, in light of the huge growth of information sources and broad diversity of cultures within the UAE community.
The study looks forward to achieving further effectiveness of police messages that will ensure its receptiveness with targeted audiences and enhance information flow to reach the right segment at the right time and in the most effective method.
The study sample, which surveyed 2,717 participants of citizens and Arab, Asian, and other expatriates, included three age categories ranging between 18 to over 45 years of age. The survey was distributed via the police website in order to achieve the widest possible participation.
The study indicates that Emiratis and Arab residents of all ages (57%) preferred the internet as their number one means to access police news, whereas newspapers came second (28%), TV came third (8%), and radio came last (7%).
The results pointed out that the majority of Emirati and Arab resident youths (73%) were interested in the Internet in order to reach police information, whereas newspapers came second (21%), and then the radio (4%). The study also revealed that Emiratis and Arab residents of older ages also preferred the Internet, though in a lesser degree than the youths, along with their increased interest in newspapers; and radio came in last for all age groups.
For Asians, the Internet came first among the favorite means for getting police news and information (53%), as the first source compared to other means.
The study referred to the interest of other non-Arab, non-Asian residents in the UAE, in getting police news and information through the Internet (61%).
The age group of 26 – 45 years also preferred using the Internet, though in a lesser degree compared to teenagers. Yet, it came in as the first source of information for them (56%); it was the favorite means for the +46 age group (49%), a percentage below that of teenagers and youths.
The study revealed that the Internet is the number one source for Emiratis for reaching police-related news and information (47%), in comparison to newspapers (29%), TV channels (15%), and radio (9%).
Almost half of Emirati teenagers and youths between 18 -25 years of age chose the Internet as their first source of reaching police-related information and news (49%), then came newspapers (26%), TV channels (17%), and radio weighed in as the last on the list of interests of the Emirati teenagers and youths (18%).
The study revealed that the internet represented a main source of information for Emiratis of the age group 26 to 45 (47%), in comparison to other means; whereas the study showed that newspapers were the first source for citizens who crossed the youth period (44%)