National centre delivers seminar on combating rumours

AMMAN — Jordanians have 7.2 million active accounts on Facebook, meaning the social networking platform has a larger audience than Jordanian media outlets, according to the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management.

The statistic was given by the Director of the Media Response Unit at the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management Ahmed Naimat during a recent seminar. During the event, he stressed the need to distinguish between news and rumours on social media platforms, according to a statement sent by the Jordan Media institute (JMI).

The seminar was titled “Rumours and their Impact on the Jordanian Economy”, and it was held in cooperation with the US embassy in Amman, the statement said.

“The government and its agencies and the official and non-official media and the private sector need to provide information that is understandable and clear,” Naimat said.

“The sources of rumours are multiple, including the absence of clear and accurate information and the state of lack of confidence among citizens,” he said, adding that media literacy is key to combating rumours.

Deputy Chairman of the Amman Chamber of Industry Musa Saket said that when concerned entities provide information, they help put an end to the spread of rumours.

“It is also important to spokespeople of public agencies,” to provide information to help fight rumours, which might have a negative impact on the economy, Saket said.