First half of April witnessed spread of 35 rumours — monitor

AMMAN — During the first 15 days of April, 35 rumours that misled public opinion were detected in the Kingdom, according to the Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor, Akeed.

Akeed on Thursday said that the rumours were propagated by local sources, with seven of the 35 rumours spread by media outlets, the Jordan New Agency, Petra, reported.

The rumours included disinformation disseminated on social media related to registering new infections of the coronavirus across the Kingdom, as well as voice messages, videos and fabricated items about government procedures concerning the organisation of workflow and resuming vital sectors’ work.

The most prominent rumours that were widely circulated on social media platforms were about a series of government decisions that would be taken related to resuming universities’ on-campus activities and government institutions’ work, as well as the reopening of cafes and restaurants during the holy month of Ramadan and after the Eid Al Fitr holiday.

The media minister, the spokesperson of the government, has refuted these claims, stressing that the information disseminated was regarding proposals rather than official decisions, Petra reported.