Fayez calls for new national media strategy

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Tuesday called for a new national media strategy spearheaded by a higher council or body “to unify the media discourse on various domestic issues and the higher national interests and stances”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

“The chaos in the Jordanian media, the multiple references and uncontrolled social platforms and news websites are unacceptable,” Fayez said during a meeting with the Senate Media Steering Committee.

The meeting was attended by Senator Mohammad Momani and State Minister for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Faisal Shboul. 

Citizens have become a “prey” to distorted information that targets national security “due to the absence of an openness policy to keep the public informed and provide them with accurate information at the right time and with the necessary speed”, he said.

The Senate president called for fully supporting the national media in their various forms so that they can “stabilise and remain strong and be capable of doing the task of serving the country” according to Petra.

He also stressed the importance of cooperation among all parties to set controls on social media, to prevent it from becoming tools for rumours, division, incitement, character assassination, hatred and extortion, pointing to “the significant impact of such platforms on the Jordanian social fabric".

Meanwhile, Shboul said that the Kingdom's advertising industry has been damaged and in retreat for the last 10 years, noting that about 250 media outlets are registered with the Media Commission, all competing in a limited market.

He added that there is no accurate statistics of the size of the advertising market due to the multiple media outlets and social platforms.

The minister pointed out that the national media face fierce competition from social media regarding digital advertising, where social media have the upper hand with the value of ads paid online in hard currency without the sales tax, while ads in the local media are paid in the local currency plus the sales tax.