JORDAN'S ASPIRING JOURNALISTS DISCUSS BLEAK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001083 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2018 TAGS: KDEM SCUL JO SUBJECT: JORDAN'S ASPIRING JOURNALISTS DISCUSS BLEAK EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS, CENSORSHIP AT FORUM REF: 04325 Classified By: Ambassador David Hale for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Over two hundred aspiring young journalists discussed bleak employment prospects and fears over censorship at Jordan's first Youth Media Forum. The forum featured frank panel discussions among professional journalists, academicians, and students about issues of press freedoms in the Arab world and the need for stronger vocational training. Students from Jordan's two undergraduate journalism programs at Yarmouk University in Irbid and Petra University in Amman made up the bulk of the audience at the two-day event, held in Amman on April 7-8. Journalism students who attended the forum praised the event for its outreach to young journalists, but many voiced concern about finding work in the field after graduation and "excessive" state control of the media. END SUMMARY. PRESS FREEDOMS TAKE CENTER STAGE AT YOUTH MEDIA FORUM ¶2. (C) Jordan's first Youth Media Forum took place on April 7-8 in Amman, with organizers stressing the importance of young journalists to the future of the profession in Jordan. Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Nasser Judeh opened the forum by "passing the torch" to a new generation of journalists, welcoming young people to the profession. Judeh said the GOJ and the Jordanian media are actively encouraging young people to use the media as a forum for expressing their opinions and sharing their experiences. Other speakers praised the GOJ's efforts to promote "responsible press freedoms" in the country, with Forum President Haitham Yusuf (an alumnus of a State Department International Visitors Program) stating that the forum aims to "achieve His Majesty King Abdullah's vision of a media upholding responsible press freedoms." ¶3. (C) Other panel participants and audience members, however, discussed frankly the challenges of "censorship and self-censorship" for journalists during a discussion on press freedoms in the country. Several criticized "excessive" restrictions on the media in Jordan and other Arab countries, noting that censorship in the kingdom "ranges from that practiced by authorities to that practiced by editors." Others pointed to the danger of self-censorship, noting that some journalists choose not to report on controversial subjects to avoid potential problems with editors. ¶4. (C) Most of the journalism students who attended the conference are studying at one of Jordan's two undergraduate journalism programs at Irbid's Yarmouk University in northern Jordan and Petra University in the capital. Several students echoed concerns about press freedoms in discussing their future plans. An undergraduate at Yarmouk University told Emboff that while he initially wanted to become "a columnist writing about foreign policy," he has decided to pursue less controversial subjects instead. "I think if I became a political columnist, they would arrest me in five minutes because I have so much to say. It is safer for me to write about sports or arts," he said. ¶5. (C) A fellow classmate opined that press freedoms exist in Jordan, so long as journalists "do not cross the line in what they say." "We can say a lot of bad things about our government, but we can't say anything bad about the King, like asking why he stands smiling and shaking hands in negotiations when they are killing our people in Gaza," he said. Another student criticized government funding of media outlets, which he claimed gives rise to biased reporting in the Arab world. "Everyone is doing this now, even your government. Our government uses Jordan Television. We all know that al-Arabiya is funded by the Saudis, the Iranians have their channels, and the Americans have al-Hurra. Even al-Jazeera which seems independent would never say anything bad about Qatar which funds them," he complained. YOUNG PEOPLE SEEK TRAINING, JOBS ¶6. (C) Participants at the forum also focused on the need for stronger job training and increased employment opportunities in the media sector. Journalism professors in particular urged media institutions in the country to take a stronger role in providing training and internship opportunities for aspiring journalists. The biggest draws at the forum were booths set up by Jordan's leading newspapers and media outlets providing information about training opportunities and employment. ¶7. (C) Some students expressed concern that they would not be able to practice their profession after graduation due to difficulty in finding employment. "Someone needs to help us find jobs, because it is difficult to find them on your own," AMMAN 00001083 002 OF 002 one student said. "It can be hard to get a job in Jordan for a journalist, but in Dubai they have a media city and the employees are paid a lot of money," another stated. Acknowledging the need for stronger outreach to aspiring journalists about training and employment opportunities in Jordan, forum organizers announced the launch of the website "kawaleesonline.com." The creators of the website said the site is the first for young journalists in Jordan. The website is intended to provide information about training and employment opportunities, while providing young people an opportunity to exchange opinions and ideas. While students applauded the launch of the website, one student whispered to Emboff: "I just have one question. Will the government be reading our opinions on the website?" MEDIA INDEPENDENCE RESONATES WITH ASPIRING JOURNALISTS ¶8. (C) Attendees at Jordan's first Youth Media Forum praised the event as an important first step in fostering a dialogue between media professionals, academics, and students in Jordan about the future of journalism in the country. The forum's frank discussion of topics like media censorship in the Arab world and the need for greater training and employment opportunities for Jordan's aspiring journalists was popular with participants, particularly students. Many participants praised the GOJ's efforts to reach out to young journalists. ¶9. (C) COMMENT. Some observers stress that press freedoms have increased in Jordan over the years, and in 2007 parliament revised the Press and Publications law (Reftel) to remove provisions that explicitly called for imprisonment of journalists (while substantially increasing fines that the government may levy on journalists). The law also limits significantly the government's power to order shutdown of printing presses and allows journalists to cover court proceedings unless the court rules otherwise. However, cases against journalists for allegedly violating the law continue, and criticism by some students of excessive state control over media and their concerns that a lack of press freedoms would influence their career paths illustrates the resonance of the subject of media independence among the next generation of Jordanian journalists. END COMMENT. HALE