A doctoral dissertation titled “U.S. Digital Propaganda Techniques Targeting Arabs on the Abraham Accords and Their Impact on Shaping the Image of the United States among the Arab Elite” was discussed at the College of Mass Communication, University of Baghdad. The dissertation was submitted by researcher Saif Hussein Hadeed in the Department of Digital Journalism.
The discussion committee was chaired by Professor Dr. Ali Jabbar Al-Shammari, with Professor Dr. Laith Badr Youssef as supervisor. Its members included Assistant Professor Dr. Nada Abboud Jarallah, Assistant Professor Dr. Basim Waheed Jouni, Assistant Professor Dr. Noah Ezz Al-Din Abdul Razzaq, and Professor Dr. Inas Mohammed Abu Yousef as an external member.
For the analytical component of the study, the researcher adopted a comprehensive enumeration approach, analyzing news stories and reports published on the U.S.-based Alhurra website from August 1, 2020, to March 31, 2025. The analysis found that the website employed 13 propaganda techniques comprising 59 subcategories.
For the field component, the researcher used a descriptive-analytical approach and a questionnaire to collect data from the study sample. The questionnaire was distributed among media and political science professors at public universities in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, and Algeria from July 10 to August 10, 2025.
The study identified patterns and habits among the Arab elite in their exposure to U.S. digital propaganda through following Alhurra. The findings showed that such exposure had both positive and negative effects on shaping the image of the United States among the Arab elite.
The researcher explained that Alhurra employed a comprehensive media strategy combining rational, emotional, and psychological persuasion to shape attitudes. The website sought to portray the United States as a reliable and guarantor power while promoting normalization as a strategic option. However, a negative image of the United States emerged among the majority of the Arab elite due to their perception of bias in the discourse and the marginalization of the Palestinian issue. The findings also showed that the cognitive impact ranked first, followed by the emotional impact, while the behavioral impact was limited.
The dissertation included 62 tables, six figures, and 10 appendices.
