During every regional crisis, Jordan faces a "rumor war" targeting its national security, supreme interests, and social stability. The Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor (Akeed) recorded 142 rumors during March, which concluded last Tuesday—an average of 5 rumors per day.
اضافة اعلان
According to the monitor's report, the number of rumors surged significantly during the 31 days of the U.S.-Israeli-Iranian war. Jordan was targeted by a specific type of disinformation campaign, receiving one rumor daily from external sources (totaling 31), while 19 rumors specifically targeted the kingdom's food reserves.
The report revealed that social media platforms were responsible for creating and circulating 137 rumors, accounting for 96% of the total misinformation published in March.
Under "Akeed’s" criteria—which defines a rumor as information spread via digital media to at least 5,000 people—the Iran-related conflict triggered 142 rumors in March. This is the highest figure recorded since the beginning of 2024, exceeding the previous peak average of 92 by 50 rumors. Furthermore, debunked rumors reached 28, an increase of 12 compared to the previous monthly average of 16.
Breakdown of Rumor Topics:
War-related: 44% (with 26% focused on the conflict's progression and Jordan’s role due to its geographical location).
Food Commodities: 19% (prices and availability).
Energy: 16% (electricity and fuel).
Public Figures: 15% (their stances regarding the warring parties).
Politics Leads the Surge
When categorized by field, Political rumors ranked first in March with 45 rumors (32%). Economic rumors followed in second place with 40 (28%), while Security-related rumors accounted for 27 (19%). Social rumors came fourth with 25 (18%), and Public Affairs recorded 5 rumors (3%). No rumors were recorded in the health sector.
Sources and Platforms
The monitoring process, which tracks rumors across media outlets and public social networks, found that internal sources (including local social media and news sites) accounted for 111 rumors (78%). External sources were responsible for 31 rumors (22%).
Regarding the medium of publication, social media platforms were the primary source for 137 rumors (96%), while traditional media outlets were responsible for only 5 rumors (4%).
