As the United Nations agency with the specific mandate to promote “the free flow of ideas by word and image”, UNESCO works to foster free, independent and pluralistic media in print, broadcast and online. In Jordan, media development enhances freedom of expression, contributing to peace, sustainability, poverty eradication and the protection of human rights.

This foundation is why UNESCO today promotes policies for press freedom and the safety of journalists, and why we support independent journalism based on professional ethics and self-regulatory principles. For UNESCO, pluralistic and diverse media provides information options so that the public can make good choices. This is why today we also help to build community media in particular, and why we foster gender equity in the media. In order to empower individuals as informed producers and consumers of information, UNESCO has initiatives in media and information literacy and in journalism education.

The opening up and liberalization of the media scene in Jordan over the past 15 years has led to a growth of news outlets and has effected positive change on the information environment. Today, 7 daily newspapers and 12 weekly newspapers are published and the influence of new media is growing. News websites are steadily expanding their scope and a modest blogsphere is unfolding.