Media Elections
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Media Elections Journal November /2013 Edition& Number 2 Publication created in the framework of the UNESCO Project ‘Enhancing Professional and Accurate Media on the Electoral Process in Jordan’, funded by the European Union UNESCO and JMI train citizen journalists from the governorates in Jordan to cover municipal elections The Jordan provinces of Aqaba, Teiba, Madaba and Mafraq hosted during the last week of August a seminar on municipal elections involving citizen journalists from those locations. Through the activity, organized by the Jordan Media Institute in cooperation with UNESCO, nearly 70 citizen journalists received training on professional media reporting of municipal elections. (continues in page 7) Jordanian journalists participate in a debate session on the Road Map Strategy Media professionals, members Road Map has been built upon a from the Independent Electoral research conducted in Jordan to the Commission in Jordan and other media community, the first of its actors in the electoral process nature, to bring recommendations to took part in a lively debate about improve the exercise of journalists the conclusions of the Road Map during elections. Strategy developed in the framework of the Media and Elections Project, implemented by UNESCO and funded by the European Union. The (continues in page 9) Also in this edition… Article Interview to Opinion Citizen journalists Dr. Basim Tweissi – The role of the journalist in trained by CMN Dean of Jordan Media the coverage of elections – Radio Al Balad Institute cover the municipal elections page 3 page 5 page 8 Content Follow Us: https://www.facebook.com/enhancing.professional.media.on.elections 3 Citizen Journalists trained through the UNESCO Project activities cover Municipal Elections 5 Interview to Dr. Basim Tweissi – Dean of Jordan Media Institute 7 Jordan Media Institute and UNESCO conduct an itinerary workshop on municipal elections in a number of governorates 8 Opinion article: What’s a reality and what’s a duty By - Abdul Kareem Whash 9 The Road Map Strategy to improve journalistic coverage of Follow Us: elections is presented in the International Day of Democracy http://www.unesco.org/new/en/amman/projects/enhancing- professional-and-accurate-media-on-the-electoral-process-in-jordan/ 11 News in brief Editor: Rut Gomez Sobrino, Project Manager Email: [email protected] Assistant: Shaden Abu Al Haijaa, Project Assistant Email: [email protected] Design: 4P’s Advertising Agency Copyright: UNESCO This publication has been created with the funds of the European Union in the framework of the Project ‘Enhancing Professional and Accurate Media in the Electoral Process in Jordan’ 2 article Citizen Journalists trained through the UNESCO Project activities cover Municipal Elections in Jordan A group of 10 citizen journalists After this specialized training on from the Jordanian governorates coverage of municipal elections, received specialized training at the the trainees had the opportunity The trainees also premises of Community Media to broadcast live audio and video Network of Jordan on using various reports one day before the municipal covered the municipal audio-visual techniques to cover the elections that took place last 27th elections and the day recent municipal elections. These of September. The trainees also after in order to ensure participants were part of a larger covered the municipal elections and full coverage of the group of 50 citizen journalists who the day after in order to ensure full electoral process at participated at the UNESCO Media coverage of the electoral process at several voting centers and Elections Project in the last 10 several voting centers in the country. months. Participants were reporting lively in the country from a number of polls stations practicing the skills they acquired during the workshops. Participants were reporting lively from a number of polls stations practicing the skills they acquired during the workshops Participant in the trainings using broadcasting techniques 3 article During the Elections Day, media As a result of this workshop in coverage started at 7 AM and addition to the live coverage, Participants have written continued until mid-night, and participants have written 12 12 articles which were focused on important issues such articles which were published on as child labor, women participation AmmanNet’s Website and 12 video published on AmmanNet’s as candidates and voters as well as reports were uploaded on Youtube Website and 12 video elections’ violations. Some of these and re-published on the Website and reports reports tackled concerns of not on Facebook. only Jordanians but also some non- Jordanians who demanded that they have a right to vote in Municipal Trainees by Community Media Network cover Municipal Elections Elections as in other Arab countries. in Amman Some of the reports tackled concerns related to the right to vote in Municipal Elections as in other Arab countries 4 interview Dr. Basim Tweissi – Dean of Jordan Media Institute “We’ve to analyze how to institutionalize freedom of media and access to information and develop media accountability and responsibility” QUESTION: As the Head of a The second challenge has been major media training institution the stumble of political reform in the country, how could you in Jordan: this did not serve the value the capacities and skills of development of the profession and Jordanian media? capacity building of journalists because they are from the same environment -political and A- Journalists in Jordan have cultural-. We notice the dramatic stridden in developing their effect of legal constraints on the professional skills and this can capacity building of journalists and be seen clearly if we follow the playing their role as a watchdog history of professional journalism on government. For example, we in Jordan. But this does not mean witnessed the insufficiencies in the that Jordanian journalists have had access to information law and how enough of training and capacity they affected developing the skills development; However if we Q - What are the challenges you in Investigative Journalism. compare them to their peers in envision in the process to empower Arab countries they would be of media to cover specific issues such the best. There are some challenges as elections? that encountered journalists during A- The challenges facing the the last two decades that halted the The department and capacity building of specialized development and capacity building faculties of media and journalism are categorized into of journalists in Jordan. communication generally three domains. The first one is the First, the degradation of the suffer from inability to level of professionalism and quality educational system for Journalism of journalism. As chances are and media in Jordan: although it stay put with all the rapid developments and updating greater to create specialized media has not started until 1982 – date reporting, the development of the of the establishment of the first of technologies and new media schemes used journalism industry and providing Journalism and Communication models of media and journalism department at Yarmouk University- productions will definitely make it has accomplished a lot until the room for more specialization and 1990’s. Since then, the degradation competition. happened dramatically. The Finally, the regional political department and faculties of media circumstances are playing a very and communication generally relevant role, instead of being a suffer from inability to stay put fertile environment for journalists The regional political with all the rapid developments to develop their skills. In Jordan circumstances are playing and updating of technologies these raised major challenges for a very relevant role, and new media schemes used. In the local media which lead to a addition they generally focused on instead of being a fertile more conservative stance of the the theory rather than the practical environment for journalists regional events and issues; and this side of Journalism. to develop their skills eventually had its toll on capacity building of Journalism in Jordan. 5 interview The second one is more specialized which offers a unique experience training opportunities for the on a regional level; focusing on journalists. I refer here to more both practical and theoretical in training on specialized elections addition to continuously updating The changes in the coverage training in addition to on journalism industry worldwide. region exposed other important topics such as JMI offers as well training programs illegal political money, elections free-of-charge in Jordan to raise the crisis facing forgery, local democracies, and capacities of journalists, as well as the professionalism more training for journalists in having regular training programs of media, which regions and governorates. that target usually journalists proves the need Developing the media coverage and students of journalism on a to re-consider the of elections in Jordan needs a national level, driven by our belief media and journalism code of ethics or a declaration in the role of media on pluralistic of principles and being able to societies and democracy. curricula in the Arab differentiate between ownership world and administration, and on the other hand editorial and journalistic Q- In the current momentum of work. This was clearly noticed tension and change, what do you think about the role that media can during the media