The perspective of journalism students towards Palestinian short narrative films: Evidence from a survey across Palestinian universities

Abstract

Palestinian short narrative films epitomize the political, social, and cultural life of Palestinians. Beyond their artistic value, the films are pedagogical tools that shape students' learning and critical understanding. This study investigated the attitudes of journalism students toward Palestinian short narrative films in terms of viewing habits, motives, perceived content, and educational effect. The study is a cross-sectional survey carried out among 360 undergraduate journalism students from eight Palestinian universities during the period between June and December 2023. Of 384 students invited, 360 responded (93.7%). Most (78%) of the respondents do not watch Palestinian short films regularly, though 67.7% view them via satellite TV and 45% online. The dominant motives were educational and cultural, as 75.9% reported an increase in self-understanding and reflection on their identity, and 73.3% had an enhanced empathy with national issues. Political themes came first (74.1%), followed by historical themes (65.1%), and then social themes (61.9%). While 46.6% reported the technical quality as weak and the performance amateurish, 74.9% became more interested in the method of production, and 66.1% developed enhanced critical analysis skills. Generally, Palestinian short films can boost journalism students’ cultural identity, media literacy, and technical skills, especially when better produced and integrated into coursework.