TFIZ01: JORDANIAN STATE-OWNED MEDIA'S PORTRAYAL OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001880

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2013
TAGS: KPAO KWWW PREL OPRC OIIP
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: JORDANIAN STATE-OWNED MEDIA'S PORTRAYAL OF
THE WAR

REF: SECSTATE 81604

Classified By: A/DCM DOUG SILLIMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B),(D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. WE ASSESS JORDAN'S STATE-CONTROLLED MEDIA
COVERAGE OF THE WAR IN IRAQ TO BE REACTIVE AND CAUTIOUS,
RATHER THAN INCITEFUL. REFLECTING BROAD OPPOSITION AMONG
JORDANIANS TO THE WAR AND ADMIRATION FOR IRAQI RESISTANCE,
JORDAN'S STATE-OWNED MEDIA HAVE ADOPTED AN EDITORIAL LINE
AGAINST OPERATION IRAQI LIBERATION, BUT HAVE SOUGHT TO AVOID
INFLAMMATORY COVERAGE OR COMMENTARY THAT MIGHT STIR UP
PASSIONS LOCALLY. THESE OUTLETS (JORDAN TELEVISION AND THE
STATE-CONTROLLED ARABIC DAILY "AL-RAI") HAVE ALSO EMPHASIZED
DOMESTIC ISSUES RELATED TO THE WAR, PROVIDING THE TRADITIONAL
MOUTHPIECE FOR GOVERNMENT REACTION AND THE VIEWS OF THE KING
AND HIS SENIOR LEADERSHIP. IN THIS REGARD, STATE-CONTROLLED
MEDIA IS CARRYING OUT THE KING'S "JORDAN FIRST" PROGRAM:
ACKNOWLEDGING AND SYMPATHIZING WITH STRONG VIEWS AGAINST THE
WAR, BUT WORKING TO PRESERVE THE INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRY BY
AVOIDING INCITEMENT THAT MAY LEAD TO INSTABILITY. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) TELEVISION: JORDAN TELEVISION RESPONDED TO THE
BEGINNING OF THE IRAQ CONFLICT WITH AN EXPANDED NEWS FORMAT
THAT INCLUDED IMPLEMENTING A PREVIOUSLY IN-TRAIN PLAN TO
BROADCAST FROM NEW STUDIOS AND AN UPGRADED TECHNICAL
PRESENTATION. HOWEVER, WITH NO CORRESPONDENTS IN THE WAR
ZONE, OR EVEN IN THE GULF, JTV HAS RELIED ON FOOTAGE FROM
OTHER SATELLITE NETWORKS, INCLUDING AL JAZEERA, AL ARABIYA,
ABU DHABI, BBC AND CNN OVER WHICH IT RUNS ITS OWN NEWS
COMMENTARY FROM THE STUDIO IN AMMAN. VIEWERSHIP REMAINS LOW
AND THE PRODUCT UNSATISFACTORY TO MANY JORDANIANS WE CONSULT.
VIEWERS HERE CONTINUE TO SEEK THEIR WAR NEWS FROM AL
JAZEERA, AL MANAR, AL ARABIYA AND ABU DHABI TV. JTV'S
EDITORIAL BIAS TENDS TOWARD SYMPATHY WITH THE "IRAQI
RESISTENCE", THOUGH NOT IN A BRAZEN FORM. THE OPERATION IS
REFERRED TO BY NEWS PRESENTERS AS "THE AMERICAN/BRITISH WAR
ON IRAQ", WITH THE ADJECTIVE "BROTHERLY" SOMETIMES PRECEDING
IRAQ ("IRAQ AL SHAKIK"). COVERAGE TENDS TO HIGHLIGHT
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AND REPORTS OF IRAQI RESISTENCE OR
COALITION DIFFICULTIES WHILE DOWNPLAYING REPORTS OF FEDAYEEN
INTIMIDATION OF IRAQI CIVILIANS OR OTHER ISSUES NEGATIVE TO
THE IRAQI REGIME. THAT SAID, JTV HAS AVOIDED AIRING THE
EXTENDED MONTAGES OF CIVILIAN INJURIES OR DEATHS FEATURED
FREQUENTLY ON AL JAZEERA, A DECISION THAT APPEARS CALCULATED
TO AVOID STIRRING PASSIONS. IN KEEPING WITH TRADITION,
STATEMENTS OR ACTIVITIES OF THE KING, PRIME MINISTER OR OTHER
SENIOR JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TRUMP WAR COVERAGE AT
THE TOP OF EVENING NEWS BROADCASTS.


3. (C) OUTSIDE ITS NEWS SEGMENTS, JTV'S WAR COVERAGE RELIES
HEAVILY ON IN-STUDIO TALK SEGMENTS THAT FEATURE KNOWN
JORDANIAN PERSONALITIES, POLITICAL AND MILITARY ANALYSTS WHO
ENGAGE IN EXTENSIVE -- AND MANY JORDANIANS SAY DRY --
ANALYSIS OF THE WAR. THIS IS WHERE JTV APPEARS MOST TO BE
MINIMIZING INFLAMMATORY COVERAGE OF THE WAR. GUESTS ARE
CHOSEN FROM AMONG KNOWN JORDANIANS WITH PREDICTABLE
POSITIONS, WHICH HAS THE EFFECT OF ENFORCING A RELATIVELY
ANODYNE DISCUSSION. THESE STUDIO GUESTS CAN BE COUNTED ON
NOT TO INFLAME THE PUBLIC AND TO RESPECT THE CARDINAL RULE OF
AVOIDING OUTRIGHT CRITICISM OF THE KING OR OF HIS GOVERNMENT
IN THIS SENSITIVE TIME.


4. (C) PRINT MEDIA: LIKE ITS BROADCAST COUNTERPART,
GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED AL RAI ARABIC DAILY HAS GENERALLY
ADOPTED A MORE CAUTIOUS TONE IN ITS WAR COVERAGE WHEN
COMPARED TO JORDAN'S TWO OTHER ARABIC DAILIES (AL DUSTOOR AND
AL ARAB AL YAWM) AND, LIKE JTV, HAS WORKED TO FEATURE THE
VIEWS OF THE JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT PROMINENTLY IN ITS DAILY
COVERAGE OF THE WAR. AL RAI FEATURES A CLEAR ANTI-WAR BIAS.
IT HAS REFERRED TO IRAQI DEAD AS "MARTYRS" FROM THE INCEPTION
OF THE CONFLICT AND HAS FEATURED ABOVE-THE-FOLD COLOR
PHOTOGRAPHS OF DAMAGED CIVILIAN AREAS, AMERICAN POW'S, GLOBAL
ANTI-WAR PROTESTS OR SMOKE RISING FROM BAGHDAD.
SIDE-BY-SIDE, HOWEVER ARE STATEMENTS BY THE KING, PM OR OTHER
SENIOR GOJ OFFICIALS EXPLAINING THE GOVERNMENT'S PRINCIPAL
PUBLIC POSITIONS: JORDAN WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE WAR,
NOR WILL ITS TERRITORY BE USED BY THE U.S. FOR ATTACKS ON
IRAQ; JORDAN IS WORKING TO FIND A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE
WAR; THE KING'S CONCERN FOR CIVILIAN VICTIMS OF THE WAR, ETC.
IT HAS NOT FEAUTRED FRONT-PAGE PHOTOGRAPHS OF KILLED
CIVILIANS OR GRIEVING FAMILY MEMBERS, HOWEVER, MIRRORING ITS
GENERALLY SUBDUED COVERAGE OF THE SECOND INTIFADA. AL RAI'S
DAILY EDITORIAL HAS, IN KEEPING WITH TRADITION, BEEN MILD IN
COMPARISON WITH SIGNED OPINION ARTICLES OF JORDANIAN
POLITICAL ANALYSTS, AND HAS AS OFTEN AS NOT BEEN ABOUT THE
GOVERNMENT'S OR THE KING'S PRESCRIPTIONS OR ADVICE FOR THE
SOCIETY DURING THESE TURBULENT TIMES. EDITORIAL CARTOONS
HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY TOUGH IN AL RAI (AS IN ALL OF JORDAN'S
ARABIC DAILIES),WITH THE IMPOTENCE OR FAILURE OF ARAB
REGIMES TO STOP THE WAR AND THE OVER-AGGRESSIVENESS OF THE
UNITED STATES AS COMMON THEMES. AL RAI IS THE HOST FOR
JORDAN'S LEADING COLUMNIST, FAHD AL-FANEK, WHO MIGHT BE
DESCRIBED AS HARSHLY ANTI-AMERICAN AND PRO-IRAQI IN THE BEST
OF TIMES. OVERALL, THOUGH, AL RAI APPEARS TO BE WORKING TO
CONTAIN AND REFLECT RATHER THAN INFLAME LOCAL PASSIONS.
GNEHM