Al-Ilam : Journal of Contemporary Islamic Communication and Media

E-commerce is widely considered as the buying and selling of products over the internet and at the same time, any transaction that is completed solely through electronic measures can be regarded as e-commerce. Instagram is a dream platform for social media entrepreneurs and marketers. Shopping on Instagram is a feature created to allow e-commerce brands to develop a "deep showcase for people exploring your best products with one tap." The core functionality of this new feature will enable brands to highlight specific posts from their Instagram feed and tag their existing products. Therefore, this study aims to highlight the benefits of e-commerce on Instagram among USIM students. Specifically, it distinguishes the benefits and positive effects of e-commerce on Instagram among USIM students. This research will show the benefits of e-commerce on Instagram influenced students, the marketing strategy used by students, and the positive effects of using Instagram in e-commerce. In fact, at the same time giving them the awareness on the benefits as well. This research uses a quantitative methodology, in which online surveys are distributed to 116 students of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia. Data will be analyzed using SPSS. The results of this study have shown that, students are aware on the benefits of e-commerce on Instagram and the positive effects of using Instagram in e-commerce. This study also emphasizes on the marketing strategy used by students in Instagram shopping. Therefore, this research adds to the knowledge of effective marketing strategy used, using e-commerce on Instagram.

Instagram has become one of the social media platforms that individuals and also organizations widely use. After several years of operation, Instagram has some features that can benefit organizations, whether for a For-Profit Organization (FPO) such as a business company or Nonprofit organizations (NPO) such as volunteering organizations and student organizations. This study aims to determine the factors influencing students to follow the USIM student organization's Instagram account. It is also to determine Consumer Brand Engagement (CBE) impacts on the USIM student organization's Instagram account and which CBE factor has the most influence on the USIM student organization's Instagram account. This research is done in a quantitative method, and the data has been collected from 113 USIM students. The analysis of the data is done in SPSS software. The research findings highlighted that the CBE affects the USIM student’s organization engagement on Instagram. This research also shows the relationship between why they followed an Instagram account with the number of USIM student’s organization Instagram followers. This research will help students understand more about CBE theory and thus allow them to effectively manage the engagement on Instagram.

The concerns over the risks of COVID-19 have led to a greater understanding of the value of living a halal lifestyle. The halal lifestyle has positive implications to increase halal products in the business aspect. Despite having the largest Muslim population of any country, Indonesia’s halal products only account for about 3.8 percent of the global halal market, which was valued at US$2.2 trillion in 2018 and is projected to reach $3.2 trillion in 2024. To increase public awareness of the halal lifestyle, The Halal Product Assurance law No.13/2014 came into effect in October 2019 and requires a mandatory halal certification for all halal products. This has led to significant growth in the halal food, pharma, and cosmetics sectors and is a trend that is expected to continue. The National Committee for Sharia Economy and Finance (KNEKS) was also formed in early 2020 to increase the development of the Islamic economic and financial ecosystem and to turn Indonesia into the World’s Halal Center. A mutual relationship has yet been done effectively among stakeholders in the halal lifestyle industry for its halal lifestyle messaging development. This study examines this phenomenon’s potential magnitude and its mechanisms undertaken by Government Public Relations of halal lifestyle during Covid-19 Pandemic. Through in-depth interviews witha prominent spokesperson, literature study, and government documents review, this study concludes that Government Public Relations must expand their scope strategically for raising awareness of halal lifestyle during the Covid-19 Pandemic and for the growth of the sharia economy.

Advances in technology and communication in television media are an important part of the dissemination of information to the public. The media, especially television, has a dominant influence in the life of Indonesian society. The emergence of television is capable of being a very effective medium. Nowadays television can be said to have entered almost all time and space in human life. Television is in development, this media does not only function as entertainment, but is also used by religions to spread da'wah messages. TV 9 Nusantara is a media developed by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), one of the largest mass organizations in Indonesia. In the broadcast, many displays on the field of da'wah and Islamic studies are characterized by ahlussunnah wal jamaah with traditions. Its presence as a religious television is interesting to study as an effort to find an institutional form as an Islamic television. This study aims to find out about TV 9 Nusantara in terms of collective work that produces broadcast products, financing, values that are practised as an effort to strengthen the status and identity of the NU organization. This study shows that as an Islamic television, TV 9 Nusantara works in the spirit of the struggle for Islamic ideology with the traditions of the NU organization which is supported by economic power and collective work between religious leaders, members of NU mass organizations and non-Muslim communities, to spread the identity of NU mass organizations in the context of Indonesian society.

The study aims to reveal the role that media professionals have in producing news materials on Al Hayat Radio and Jordan Radio. An analytical and descriptive approach is indicated in order to achieve the research objectives. The questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. The research included a sample of 80 directors from Radio Al-Hayat and Jordanian Radio in Jordan. The results of the research revealed that the level of the role that news managers have in the production of news materials in Radio Al-Hayat and Jordan Radio was at a high level, and there are statistically significant differences in the level of skills that news managers possess in producing news materials. Attributed to the variables of gender, age, experience and educational qualifications, and there are statistically significant differences in the level of skills between news managers in both radio stations in favor of Radio Life.

The pressures between the economy and community development increase corporate social responsibility activities, which are more than a strategy to improve a company's corporate image and reputation. Therefore, organizations must provide different options and approaches to increase their contribution to community engagement program. This study has investigated the societal contributions made by organization undertaking entrepreneurial activities. More specifically, this study examines how Corporate Social Entrepreneurship (CSE) can provide long-term societal contributions. The study consists of an intensive case study on Noor Arfa, a Corporate Social Entrepreneurial firm started by Terengganu Batik Industry, to address the social issue of youth unemployment in Terengganu. Noor Arfa hires unemployed young adults to provide them with work experience and training. The study conducted qualitative interviews with CEOs, supervisors and trainees at Noor Arfa and performed observations during one day at Noor Arfa. The study resulted in a proposed model for CSE derived from the empirical findings and entrepreneurship literature. Significant contributions are the critical presence of a business and a social dimension required to be aligned for CSE to provide long-term societal contribution successfully. The underlying factors that affect these dimensions are also presented as well as the values generated through CSE. Additionally, new insights are presented in terms of challenges and opportunities that face a Corporate Social Entrepreneurial organization.

Since 2020, the widespread of a virus named Covid-19 or more commonly known as Corona, has been happening and has caused manydisturbances inpeoples’ lives. Of course, this is also applicable to people who are working. It affectsmanyworking peopleas they now have to face the Movement Control Order (MCO). The MCO restricts people from moving to places as it is trying to avoid gatheringpeople that could potentially spread the virus even faster. Since we are researchingPublic Relations Practitioners, we are trying to see how this pandemic will affect howthey work during the pandemic. We theorize that there was a significant change in the way Public Practitioners work before and during Covid-19. Therefore, we have interviewed many Public Relations practitionersto see if what we theorize was true. We posemultiple questions about how this pandemic has affected their work as public relations practitioners. We theorize thatthe MCO especially has left a significant impact in their career as the MCO would restrict things such as moving around from place to placeto meet clients. Standard of Procedures was also established to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, and its content forbids a gathering of people. People need to commit tosocial distancing as well as there needs to be a set amount of people allowed in one confined place. Because of all of this, we theorize that Public Relations practitioners are now learning to conduct meetings with clients and other employees virtually. Whether through Skype, Google Meet,or Zoom, all of those factors mayresult in them having to reschedule their whole plan for the year.

A lot of people look at the adverse effects of social media when it comes to addiction. In the organizational context, the impact of social media addiction is considered to affect organizational commitment. This study determinesthe relationship between social media addiction and organizationalcommitment among the employees in LembagaLebuhraya Malaysia. The questionnaire has been used as a method in this study. Out of two hundred and forty-seven (247) employees in LembagaLebuhraya Malaysia, one hundred and fifty-two (152) employees have been selected equally to be sampled for this study using probability sampling technique that is simple random sampling. Through correlation analysis, it was found that there was a weak positive relationship but significant. It shows that, although the employees in LembagaLebuhraya Malaysia are prettyaddicted to social media, they still have organizational commitment. Thus, the management in LembagaLebuhraya Malaysia does not have to worry about the employees' commitment. Even though they are usingsocial media, they are still committed tothe organization. Therefore, control over social media does not have to be made by the management.

Most knowledge, entertainment, and education can now be accessed very conveniently via webs, blogs, and social media in this exponential age. On the other hand, television plays an essential role in most people's lives. This study aims to learn about children's acceptance of children's television shows in Malaysia. In the report, 30 children aged four to six years old were interviewed and examined. Interviews were performed in English and Malay, depending on the children's preferred language of expression: some were bilingual, while others spoke only Malay. During the observation period, the researchers observed and reported what the children said and did while watching. In terms of cognition, this research suggests that children have optimistically specific basic literacy skills. Affectively, the children can express their emotions by sufficient or reasonable emotional responses, and they can interact with the character's customs, etiquette, and cultural heritage to a limited extent. Children implicitly perceive sex-role stereotyping on a behavioral level. This research demonstrates that children comprehend basic literacy skills cognitively. Affectively, the children communicate their emotions through acceptable or sufficient emotional responses and can associate with traditions, etiquette, and cultural heritage to a limited extent. Children intuitively recognize sex-role stereotyping on a behavioral level. The results of the final review showed that television did not affect. The final study results showed that television did not significantly impact children's perceptions; instead, daily experience and context affected their awareness and understanding.

Impairments in social interaction are the primary characteristics of an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In addition, communication becomes the main issue that people with ASD will be struggling with. Nowadays, technology has become a necessity for our daily life, and it provides convenience to people to communicate effectively. However, ASD individuals may experience a wide variety of communication challenges. Most of the parents were concerned that the usage of the technology may negatively impact their ASD child. Hence, by conducting this study, we will understand how technology may affect them. This research aims to explore the usage of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in assisting ASD individuals in communicating. A qualitative research method is chosen to conduct this research, and the phenomenological study served as the research design. The samples were selected through non-probability sampling. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with parents with ASD children, Special Education teachers or caregivers, therapists, and instructional communication technology experts to gather insightful information about CMC and ASD individuals. Findings indicated that all the informants agreed the CMC, such as computers, phones, or TV, can encourage ASD individuals to communicate with others and helps in their education. Even though the CMC helps the ASD individual in communication and education, throughout learning and communication, the usage of the CMC should be monitored to avoid addiction.

Reporting on sensitive or controversial issues, particularly race and religion, has always been challenging for media practitioners. With a plural society background like Malaysia has, the media practitioners have to put more concern in the contents of their news reports. The consideration includes journalists as individuals, media routines, organisation, extra media forces to the ideological, sociocultural forces as presented in the Hierarchy of Influence model by Shoemaker & Reese (2014). The paper aims to study how the Malaysian mainstream media report on controversial issues in the newspapers from the hierarchy of influence perspective. Through a qualitative method, in-depth interviews were conducted among editors and journalists from The Star and Utusan Malaysia to obtain their experience in reporting such issues. Their responses were then analysed using Nvivo through the categorization of themes from the hierarchy of influences. The results show that there are connections between all levels that contributed to the shaping of news contents particularly on controversial issues like the translation of the word ‘God’ to ‘Allah’ case. This shows that Malaysia is unique and different when reporting on such issues as these influences will help to keep and maintain the peace and harmony in the plural society.

The tourism industry has contributed 56.5 billion to the national income, thus becoming the second most prominent industry in Malaysia. Therefore, the country needs higher expenses to promote Malaysia through printed media and mass media advertising. However, the emergence of social media such as travel blogs has especially gained global attention. It could serve as a platform to promote Malaysian tourism destinations and reduce the cost of advertising. A travel blog with a range of travel information sources along with a discussion space serves as reference material for potential tourists to gain exposure to an authentic holiday experience. Travel blogs can be used as an effective and efficient medium to promote tourism destinations if the blog writer studied and understands their reader’s desire for traveling. This study aims to identify the extent of a travel blog (affective, cognitive, and interpersonal interaction in the blog) that could potentially affect the reader’s desire to travel to a particular destination. The data was collected from a total of 185 respondents using an online survey. The results showed that the affective, cognitive, and interpersonal interactions significantly correlate with the desire to travel. However, the interpersonal interaction factor was the most significant predictor for the travel blog reader’s desire and tendency to travel.

The Palestinian media has fulfilled a significant national role in forming and building up the awareness of the Palestinian people wherever they are. It called for and adopted all national values that aim to end the occupation and protect the Palestinian identity from disappearing, especially as the occupation's endeavours to Judaize and Israelize the Arab and Islamic history of Palestine continues. For a long, the Palestinian media has played a supporting role in the popular and military resistance. This study addresses five main topics: Protection of journalists in the international law, the types of Palestinian media outlets and their development, the national role of Palestinian media and journalism in the Palestinian struggle, the Israeli violations against Palestinian journalists, and statistics on the Israeli violations against Palestinian journalism in the past decade. The researcher used the descriptive analysis approach. The study results show that journalism is important in Palestine and is deemed as a part of the Palestinian national work, and the occupation committed all sorts of violations at the Palestinian journalism without being held accountable. The study recommends the formation of a unified Palestinian body that represents journalists in Palestine, and that has a solid reference across the Islamic countries; and the formation of legal committees that can prosecute the occupation at international institutions in order to hold it accountable for the violations against the journalists.

The widespread use of social media has opened a new dimension to the community to use this medium for the delivery of da'wah. For celebrity preachers, the influence and attraction that they have within them is able to attract hundreds of thousands of social media users to follow their accounts and subsequently accept and trust the da’wah content posted. Celebrity preachers need to build credibility so that the posting of da'wah content uploaded through social media does not cause the effect of the disorder of religious information presented especially involving the ruling of religious hakams. This study aims to study the credibility that should be built as guidance for the celebrity preachers before uploading any posts of da'wah content on social media. This study uses in-depth interview methods with two preachers namely Mohd Farid Ravi Abdullah and Don Daniyal Don Biyajid. The results found that celebrity preachers on social media should build their credibility by being purely sincere in da’wah intention for Allah (ikhlas), having a sense of responsibility for the content of da'wah posted, seeking to gather religious knowledge as deeply and morally as these celebrity preachers are exemplary followers of their social media accounts.

In light of the increasing role of social media and the spread of the COVID-19 worldwide, including Yemen, and the importance of awareness role in preventing the spread of the virus, the problem of the study focused on identifying the role of social media in raising awareness of COVID-19 risks and its repercussions from the point of view of Yemeni students Future University. The study falls within the descriptive and analytical studies and relied on the method of a social survey by sample. The study was conducted on 16% of Future University students (520) students. The questionnaire was used during March and April 2021. The two theories of effective networks and cultural cultivation were relied upon to explain the study issue, and the study reached several conclusions, including; 1) the using hours of social media varied from less than two hours to six hours or more, and less than two hours came in first place with a ratio of 31.0%, 2) the importance of social media role in raising awareness of COVID-19 risks, reached 58.6% of those who answered yes and 31.0% of those who answered (somehow), 3) the positives of social media in raising awareness of COVID-19 risks have varied, and the average answers to this field choices range between 2.3678 and 2.0460, and it reflects a high degree from the point of view of the study sample, and 4) the confidence ratio in the information provided by social media was little trust 42.5%, and medium trust 27.6%.

This study examinesthe impact of the new media on the students’ gratifications, as it aims to find outthe uses of new media and their impact on the students of Dhofar University as well asthe gratifications achieved from this usageand to identify the economic, cultural, social and political interests of university students.The research problem is the deactivationofthe university’s accounts in the new media, which is not allowing students to use them well to achieve the required saturation.The main questionof thisreach is what is the impact of the use of new media on the gratifications achieved for Dhofar University students? The study relied on the descriptive analytical method, as this method contributes to describing phenomena and events toreach their fundamental causes. This study is based on the theory of Uses and Gratifications, as it fits with the objectives of the study.

The location of the drama is one of the types of setting chosen in a drama and is one of the production process of television dramas. The selection of the location requires in-depth study and recce to ensure that the play is more interesting and has a specific meaning for the audience to understand. Thus, this study aims to analyze the extent to which the selection of location backgrounds chosen by the director is tailored to the scene, having elements of da'wah besides influencing the visual beauty of the drama. This study uses content analysis on three Islamic dramas directed by Mior Hashim Manap on TV Al-Hijrah titled Cinta Kun Fayakun, Warkah Cinta, and Cinta dan Wahyu. This study carries out in-depth interviews with Mior Hashim Manap to discuss the issue of this study. The results reveals the location of the drama chosen by the directors in these three dramas have the characteristics of da'wah that show the beauty of Islam, the power of Allah S.W.T and bring the audience closer to Allah S.W.T. Overall the location can be made as an element of da'wah in Islamic drama whether as unseeded or implied through the scenes portrayed in the location.

This issue brings on the theme of Communication, Media and Its Impact in Times of Crisis which eight of them are selected articles presented at the 2021 International Conference on Islam, Media and Communication (ICIMAC2021) which was held on 10 & 11 July. Another four are submissions made by the individuals who wish to publish with Al-I'lam respectively. The conference was organised by the Communication Program, Faculty of Leadership and Management, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). The topics presented in this conference were related to the current situation where the whole world is being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and during this crisis, communication via proper media is needed as a message delivery channel.

Penglibatan wanita di dalam industri media kreatif di Malaysia dilihat semakin meningkat. Namun begitu, faktor seperti gender, budaya, agama, dan adat masyarakat setempat turut mempengaruhi pemerkasaan dan penglibatan wanita Muslim dalam industri media kreatif. Apatah lagi untuk berada di kedudukan yang lebih tinggi sebagai penerbit rancangan, pengurus atau sebagai pembuat keputusan dalam industri media kreatif. Selain itu, kekurangan kajian empirikal dan data statistik yang berkaitan wanita dalam industri menyebabkan isu-isu berkaitan kebajikan dan peluang karyawan wanita dipandang enteng oleh sesetengah pihak. Penggunaan konsep pemerkasaan wanita menurut perspektif Islam membantu penyelidik untuk memahami pengalaman harian pekerja wanita Melayu Muslim ketika bekerja. Justeru itu, kajian ini bertujuan menelusuri dan menyingkap penglibatan wanita dalam industri filem dan televisyen dengan mengenalpasti isu dan cabaran yang dihadapi. Seterusnya, kajian ini juga bertujuan mengenalpasti apakah strategi yang digunapakai untuk menghadapi cabaran. Bagi mencapai objektif, kajian ini menggunakan kaedah temu bual separa berstruktur bersama 20 wanita Melayu Islam yang bekerja dalam produksi filem dan televisyen. Informan yang ditemu bual adalah adalah terdiri daripada wanita yang sudah berkahwin, bujang dan ibu tunggal. Hasil daripada perbincangan bersama informan temu bual dianalisis menggunakan perisian Atlas.Ti 9 melalui kaedah analisis tematik. Hasil daripada kajian mendapati walaupun penyertaan kaum wanita dalam produksi televisyen dan filem semakin meningkat, namun isu seperti stigma dan persepsi negatif, ketidakstabilan kerjaya dan kehidupan, dan eksploitasi terhadap wanita masih lagi menjadi cabaran kepada mereka. Justeru itu, kajian mengenai isu pemerkasaan terhadap wanita seharusnya diperbanyakkan oleh sarjana tempatan bagi memastikan isu cabaran yang dihadapi oleh wanita yang bekerja dalam industri media kreatif dapat diatasi. Dicadangkan untuk kajian berikutnya, pengkaji boleh mengkaji kepada aspek yang lebih meluas iaitu dengan menjalankan kajian kepada wanita tanpa mengira umur, agama dan budaya. Kajian mengenai wanita dalam industri penyiaran dan perfileman juga seharusnya sentiasa dikembangkan di Malaysia sebagaimana yang telah dijalankan di Barat.

Today, social media are frequently associated with the propagation of defamation, which is believed to impact society negatively. Most of this fake news originates via Whatsapp, Twitter, and Telegram applications, indicating that this social media facility that facilitates the transmission of fake news continues to exist.This study aims to explore and understand the style of news writing in preventing fake news on digital media platform devoted to news literacy from the perspective of a media practitioner. The debate will focus mostly about fake news and the appropriate journalistic methodology for reporting on digital news sites. Identifying the factors that influence the evolution of the style of journalism on digital media is a further crucial endeavour. The objectives of the study were achieved through the use of semi-structured qualitative interviews. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten media professionals until the data set was saturated. According to the findings of the study, data journalism is the news writings styles that can aid in the prevention of “fake news” in digital media. In addition, research demonstrates that data journalism is characterised by data capture, graphics, and visualisation. This study seeks to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by demonstrating how the expansion of journalistic style on online news websites has made new journalistic practises relevant.