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Enhancing internet media freedom in Jordan: from research to media advocacy

Year when project approved: 
2014
Approved budget: 
US$9 000.00

Jordan is home to one of the fastest growing Internet populations in the world. Over half the population has access to a smartphone, making the Internet an important space for average citizens to access news, engage in discussions, blog, publish videos and photos, and organize and mobilize as groups. In just 5 years, local electronic news (e-news) websites have grown to become the primary source of breaking news for most Jordanians. However, this has been accompanied by threats to individuals’ privacy and censorship attempts by the state. In mid-2012, the Press and Publications Law was amended to require the registration of “electronic publications” with the Press and Publications Department, essentially exposing them to the same restrictions as traditional media. The amendment also lets the government remove comments from e-news sites it deems irrelevant. After the Law was implemented, over 250 news websites were blocked for failing to register with the Press and Publications Department.

Media workers in Jordan currently lack the capacity to thoroughly investigate issues surrounding media freedom and the Internet, digital identity and safety, and how cyber policy impacts the average user. This has limited the media’s ability to inform audiences on emerging trends that impact free speech and expression and to support the work of activists and organizations in the field. An uninformed public has, in turn, made it difficult to mobilise public opinion to curb future government efforts to impose legal and/or policy restrictions on the media sector.

 
In order to address this lack of capacity and counter government attempts to censor e-news, 7iber proposes to use its expertise to work with local professionals and citizen journalists to help the media community to better respond to threats on media freedom and freedom of expression.

Documents
Full project description: 
Jordan_project_proposal.pdf
Project details
IPDC Bureau meeting nº: 
58

Implementation status :

Project evaluated:

Project scope:

IPDC Priority:

Budget

Source of funds:

Beneficiary
Beneficiary name: 
7iber for Training and Technology
Beneficiary description: 

7iber is a company based in Jordan that develops non-commercial digital media projects, conducts research, and organizes consultancies and trainings focusing largely on digital storytelling, communication and social media. We believe in the power of stories and their ability to document, express, and capture the world we live in, as well as the supremacy of social media tools that are helping to shape a new media reality. At 7iber, we help people, in whatever fields they operate in, to navigate the vast waters of social media, finding ways and developing methods that allow them to make the most of these continuously evolving digital tools, while demonstrating ways in which these tools can be used to tell captivating stories for Web consumption. 7iber trainers have been training in the field of digital media and storytelling since 2009. Funding sources and training clients have included: the European Union, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Canadian Gender Fund, Swiss Embassy in Jordan, International Medical Corps, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Arab Partnership Participation Fund.

Beneficiary address: 
29 Muhib Al Din Street Jabal Lweibdeh, Right of the Abdali Souk Amman

Beneficiary country:

Beneficiary website: 
ramsey@7iber.com

Beneficiary type:

Location and contacts
UNESCO
Responsible UNESCO Regional advisers: 

Ikhlas Aal Khawaldh, i.aal-khawaldh@unesco.org

UNESCO Field Office:

Project place: 
29 Muhib Al Din Street Jabal Lweibdeh, Right of the Abdali Souk Amman, Jordan

Project region:

Follow-up and achievments
Summary of the project implementation: 

1. Research: Research on enhancing Internet digital media freedom in Jordan puts forward five models of digital media regulatory frameworks as examples of good practices from countries around the world. After setting the standards of what constitutes “good” practice, five countries were chosen: Brazil, Argentina, Finland, South Africa and Tunis. The research also provides a critique of the current media laws in Jordan, especially the Press and Publication Law and the Journalist Press Association Law. The research was originally set to be the last component in the project. However, it was later agreed that is would be more efficient and sensible to base the curriculum on the workshop and the information sessions on the research findings. Therefore, the sequence of activities was switched. The research was submitted to the UNESCO team on 1st February 2015 and published on 7iber’s website, with an introductory article, on 7th April of that year. An Arabic version of the article "Controlling Online Media in Jordan: Censorship or the Rule of Law by Thoraya El-Rayyes" was published in April 2015, along with the translated research and curriculum. 2. Curriculum: The curriculum was based on the above-mentioned comparative research and other research by 7iber on the state of online media in Jordan. The curriculum package included: - A visual presentation reviewing the local media regulatory framework in comparison to other researched case studies, containing info-graphics and other visuals to explain findings. (The presentation consisted of the following three modules: 1) Online Media Regulation in Jordan; 2) Alternative Media Regulation from Argentina, Brazil, South Africa and Finland; and 3) Co-regulation of Digital Media); - A Trainer’s Guide for NGOs and journalists on how to read the research and run a one-day workshop with suggested agenda - A policy brief containing recommendations given to legislators and parliamentarians on an ultimate Media Law that will protect citizens and respect freedoms in Jordan based on the reviewed frameworks. 4. Workshop: On January 12th, 2015, 7iber Wireless Team held a workshop to discuss the realities of online media freedoms in Jordan in the light of the international legislative examples. Targeting law and journalism students, the workshop was based on research and curriculum that the 7iber Wireless team has been developing. Attempting to also engage participants with regional examples of online media legislation, Egyptian and human rights lawyer Ahmed Ezzat was invited to facilitate workshop activities and run a session on online freedoms in Egypt. The workshop was attended by thirteen participants: 5 students of journalism and law, 5 journalists, one news website’s editor in chief, one activist, and one from the legal support organization: Justice Centre for Human Rights. While 20 registered and confirmed to attend the workshop, transportation was an obstacle for many participants given the snow weather conditions.