Jordan Government Bias
Government
Government Type: Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy
Leader: King Abdullah II
Political Parties: There are numerous political parties, but the King is the ultimate authority and appoints the Prime Minister.
Political Position: Center-Right
Press Freedom
World Press Freedom Rank: Jordan 120/180
Jordan is ranked 120 out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2022 press freedom report. Reporters Without Borders praise Jordan for its political stability; however, they also point out that self-censorship occurs due to “implicit red lines around certain subjects.”
Media Ownership and Government Analysis
The Jordanian government controls print and broadcast media by owning directly or acquiring stakes. For example, Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV) is the state broadcaster of Jordan and operates several television channels and radio stations. Al-Mamlaka (“the kingdom”) is a public broadcaster where the government appoints the board of directors by a Royal Decree; it is owned and funded by the government.
When it comes to privately-owned media, UAE-based Sayegh Group owns Roya TV. Online media is popular; however the Jordanian government restricts access to online content of news outlets when deemed necessary—for example, blogs such as citizen-media news outlet 7iber and LGBTQ magazine MyKali are often blocked.
Petra News Agency is the official news agency of Jordan, which the government owns, and appoints its members. The Jordanian government also holds majority shares of the following news media, Al-Rai and Jordan Times that is published by the Jordan Press Foundation, in which the government has a 55% stake. Ad-Dustour owned by the Jordan Press and Publishing Company is 30% owned by the government.
In conclusion, the Jordanian government has a monopoly over the print and broadcast media as it either fully owns them or holds shares, limiting media pluralism. Furthermore, the government has firm control over State media outlets through the manner in which it appoints its board of directors. Private media on the other hand dominates the online news media and satellite TV stations but is subject to censorship. Therefore, press freedom is limited in Jordan.
Last Updated on May 15, 2022 by Media Bias Fact Check
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