Jordan Times
Monday, Ocotber 5, 1998
Information minister urges journalists to help set up media training centre
AMMAN — Information Minister Nasser Judeh on Sunday urged journalists to join the government in its efforts to establish a media training centre in Jordan.
In a meeting with the Jordan Press Association's president and council members, Judeh said all concerned sides have to recognise the urgency for such a centre.
The centre would train journalists on the ethics and skills of the profession, help them avoid inaccurate reporting, and raise standards, he said.
JPA President Seif Sharif welcomed the idea and said the centre would help rehabilitate journalists on ways of reporting and would raise the standard of the profession in the country.
He added that the association intends to set up a regional institution for media in collaboration with the Berlin International Institution for Media and the International Journalists Organisation.
He said the cost of establishing such an institution would be around JD500,000.
Judeh also told the journalists' body that the government is considering dropping charges against newspapers filed under previous governments.
But the minister said the government might not be able to drop cases that are already before the court.
Judeh said that 99 per cent of the charges against newspapers are currently in court and that the government respects the judiciary's independence and cannot tell them to drop cases.
“Once the cases are before the court, we will make it clear that we don't want to pursue them and that we want to drop charges,” he said. “Our intention is to close the case.”
But Hani Dahleh, a lawyer specialised in human rights issues, told the Jordan Times that the law of the land stipulates that charges could be dropped if the government so wished.
“The director of the Press and Publications Department can send a memo to the attorney general requesting him to drop charges against any journalist or paper, and the case could be dropped,” Dahleh said.
Judeh once again reiterated the government's intention of a soft implementation of the press law and said he was ready to open all channels of dialogue with media representatives.
He also stressed the importance of finding an appropriate mechanism with the association to improve media performance, serve Jordan and enhance the concept of democracy.
The minister called for activating a journalists' “code of honour” and the JPA's disciplinary board to deal with media-related problems and violations and “to become an active point of reference for journalists who abuse the profession.”
“We will support the JPA's role in assuming responsibility and working on promoting journalism,” Judeh said.
He stressed the necessity for accurate, objective and credible news reporting, saying there had been several instances of inaccurate reporting.
He also called on the press body to pursue the truth and to check available information with the concerned sources before publishing them.
Judeh also announced to JPA members that the Cabinet on Saturday awarded seven dunums of land, free of charge, in the Tabarbour area for the association to set up a press club.
Sharif told the Jordan Times that the JPA had requested that the minister consider amending several articles in the new press law and that Judeh had promised to cooperate with the association and to study these recommendations.
“We are happy and optimistic with the results of these meetings with the government,” he stated.