House urges plan to aid print media

AMMAN — The Lower House on Sunday approved its National Guidance Committee's recommendations on alleviating newspapers' financial woes.

Concluding Sunday’s special session on the worsening financial situation of the print media, the government also requested that the panel's recommendations be officially referred from the Chamber to the Council of Ministers for examination.

Previously, 53 lawmakers signed a memorandum, requesting a special session to discuss the financial crisis of the country's major newspapers.

Reading a detailed report on how to alleviate newspapers' financial problems, head of the committee MP Zakaria Sheikh called on the government to shoulder its responsibilities towards print media outlets, citing their pivotal national role.

As a major recommendation, the panel called on the government to save print media from "collapse" through including in its media strategy an item that seeks to reduce the operational cost of newspapers.

The panel also called on the government to establish a "saving fund" for print media outlets with the aim of securing cash flows to cover newspapers' urgent needs and the salaries of their staff.

"The government's code of conduct is part of the crisis and not of the solution," the panel concluded, recommending that the code of conduct that regulates the public sector’s relationship with the media be cancelled. 

The committee also called on the government to exempt newspapers for two years from taxes imposed on their imports of production input, including papers and ink, as well as the sales tax.

It also recommended that the appointment of newspapers' boards of directors be based on high qualifications and solid experiences in running media businesses. 

No lasting solution to the print media sector's accumulated woes can be achieved without a restructuring plan, the committee concluded, recommending that the country's major newspapers, especially Ad-Dustour daily, embark on restructuring of its staff with the aim of controlling excess labour and raising efficiency of workers.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani requested that the recommendations be referred to the government for examination, stressing that the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour never imposed any appointment in newspapers and never interfered in their editorial policies.

The panel also called on the government to shrink back from "imposing" the appointment of journalists and administrators at the newspapers. 

During the session, several MPs stressed the important national role of newspapers, calling for an immediate plan to help them "survive".

Others blamed newspapers' consecutive boards for the present problems the newspapers face, calling for referring the case of Al Rai daily's new printing presses to the prosecutor general.