AMMAN — The 2021 Media Freedom Index in Jordan report
issued by the
Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists, titled “Shackled”
and released on February 28, rated Jordan as “restricted”, drawing mixed
reactions from lawmakers and journalists.
اضافة اعلان
The qualification "restricted" was given for the
second year running. The report rated freedom of the press in Jordan 215.2 out
of 600, down by 4 percent from 2020.
Daoud Kuttab, director-general of
Community Media Network,
a Jordan-based media NGO, told
Jordan News the report's results are accurate,
adding that freedom of the media is slowly becoming more restricted as the
government is becoming less tolerant of even mild criticism.
"If this continues, we have little chance of creating
the kind of atmosphere that the new political parties need to be able to work
on reforming the governance structure in Jordan," Kuttab said.
Kuttab added that the problem lies foremost in journalists’
self-censorship brought by the government's restrictions and meddling. Senior MENA
editor at Occrp.org and cofounder and founding executive director of Arab
Reporters for Investigative Journalism, Rana Sabbagh, told
Jordan News that the
report presents the status of the media in Jordan. She added that freedom of
the press is necessary to monitor and combat corruption, nepotism, and human
rights abuses.
Sabbagh also blames journalists in Jordan, saying that
they have given up on their profession, “choosing to sit in the comfort of
officials' laps”.
"Journalism was a sacred profession. Red lines were
clearer; today, red lines have become like a spaghetti dish."
According to Sabbagh, there are many laws and regulations that
intimidate journalists.
"Today, journalism, in general, has become the job of
those who have no job. It is used to serve the journalist's interests and those
of their families and friends."
Sabbagh added that
human rights, freedom of the press, and
freedom of speech “have been rolled back by the state for the past six years”,
and that "a state with no professional media will never progress".
Lawmaker Saleh Al-Armouti told
Jordan News that it is
unfortunate to see Jordan rated as “restricted” when it comes to media freedom
and that the report reveals clear violations of the Constitution.
"The Jordanian Constitution includes and protects freedoms,”
he said, adding that there are pieces of legislation and policies that go
against the constitution.
The cybercrime and anti-terrorism laws, for example, can
be used to detain journalists and make them stand trial in state security
courts.
"I believe that media are terrified, and I believe
that security issues takes precedence over the political file. There is no way
to reform without democracy, and there is no way we can have democracy without
freedoms. The government should loosen the security grip and allow freedom of
expression. There is no good environment for the media, and I am not optimistic
that things will get better," Armouti added.
Lawmaker Yassar Al-Khassawneh, on the other hand, believes
that the report exaggerated the status of the media in Jordan, saying that the report
title, “shackled”, makes it seem like "we are standing in front of a detainee
who will be put in jail".
"Media in Jordan have taken a remarkable space, but they
now rely on the media personnel themselves. A good media environment creates
the right behavior and reveals the truth, but, unfortunately, some media hide
the truth for financial gain, and some biased media are used or created by some
to push their interest," Khassawneh said.
Some issues should be off media limits and media should uphold
the nation's interest, he said, adding that there were no arrests of
journalists whose reporting was based on documented facts.
According to Khassawneh, Jordanian media are advanced and
carry humanitarian values.
"We want for the press to search and document the
truth, not to be carried away and say whatever crosses their minds; journalists
should have a high level of professionalism and rely on documents when speaking
of national issues,” he said.
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