Gov't completes first phase of media development plan

AMMAN — The Ministry of Government Communication has completed the first phase of the government’s media development plan, marking a key step in its efforts to enhance the media landscape, Minister of Government Communication Mohammad Momani said on Monday.

Momani noted that this milestone aligns with the government’s policy statement issued last November, which was formalised in response to His Majesty King Abdullah’s Letter of Designation for forming the current government, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The minister stressed that the media development plan focuses on three core areas: sustainability, professional specialisation, and digitalisation, adding that it aims to implement structured, time-bound actions in cooperation with a wide range of media institutions.

The development plan is structured in three phases, with full implementation expected by mid-year. The first phase, now completed, involved extensive consultations with stakeholders from public, private, and community media organizations.

These discussions provided a platform to present the government’s vision for modernising the media sector, Momani said.

The second phase will gather feedback and recommendations from different media sectors. Specialised working groups will be formed to ensure that proposed solutions are practical and feasible within a defined timeframe.

In the final phase, the proposals will be reviewed, particularly regarding their financial implications. They will then be formalised with clear implementation deadlines and presented to relevant stakeholders for further refinement. 

Once finalised, the plan will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval, becoming an officially endorsed framework within the government’s broader commitments.

Momani stressed that the Letter of Designation issued to Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan’s government underscores the need to keep pace with technological advancements and to support media outlets in adopting digital transformation strategies. 

He also highlighted the government’s commitment, as outlined in its policy statement to the Lower House, to enhancing digital media capabilities and ensuring citizens’ right to access information in an era of rapid technological change.

The first phase of the plan involved 18 consultation meetings with stakeholders from 261 media institutions. A total of 296 participants attended, representing a broad spectrum of government, private, and community-based organisations.