I saw this two-liner news report on Ammon last note as they broke it but the details were still to sketchy to post. Those details have not much improved over night, but the gist of the story is that two Jordanian journalists were stopped by an unknown body (most likely security-related) and held for several hours without charges. They were then released. According to updates this morning on Ammon, the Prime Minister played a central role in securing their release.
This comes a little over a month since HM King Abdullah declared that the jailing of journalists was prohibited.
Which forces me to wonder whether someone simply didn’t get the message, or if someone is sending one.
In other interesting media developments. Al-Ghad has an interesting column today about access to information. Lately, the daily newspaper launched a sidebar that showcases who they label as “officials against transparency”, featuring their name and a brief of what they’ve done to deserve a spot on the very public wall of shame. For over a week, the Minister of Water has been featured for denying a reporter from Al-Ghad the right to ask questions about the Disi water project. Given the continued delayed reaction, I’m assuming that this isn’t being taken too seriously by officials. However, I think it’s a great idea, and, if sustained, I think it will eventually catch on and be a source of embarrassment for public officials. Although Al-Ghad insists that the intention is not to humiliate but rather to hold people accountable.
Suffice to say, in reality, it manages to do both.
And that’s something that’s needed.
How do you know if it’s not for other reasons, beside their jobs?
@marwan: well considering they were both from the same publication it’s unlikely it’s for something unrelated to their jobs. moreover, i think their lawyer mentioned an article they had just published about a woman who refused hospital treatment, as being the source of the problem.
but other than that, all we have to go on is this news report
off topic, you’ve been quoted here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/24/world/middleeast/24jordan.html?_r=1&hp
well as for cencorship, we at http://www.aaramnews.com, published an article early last year about possible changes in the government and security services…we were contacted by a specific person who advised us that another specific person was angry with the article…the article mentioned no names and I will not mention any names here….we did not remove the article and were faced with a lot of pressure.
I think that it someone trying to send a message as opposed to someone not getting the message…they are clever, they want control because without control a lot will be unearthed and scandalous facts will appear….noway will they let this occur…when I say they I am assuming readers are clever enough to understand exactly who I am talking about………
“Islamism for us is what pan-Arabism was for our parents,†said Naseem Tarawnah, 25, a business writer and blogger, who is not part of the movement.
a7la abu Tarawneh 😉
@secratea: thanks for the heads up!
@yazan: you guys have to do something about that left sidebar with all the celebrities! 😀
Bravo Al Ghad! I love the idea!
Yes, we should help in publicizing the side bar 😉
It is time to have NAMES for who is responsible of holding up the freedom of expression in this country. If the king says that the sky is the limit, then we should point out who is preventing us from reaching the sky. Way to go Al Ghad.
well its ironic that al ghad is the one trying to access information when they wouldn’t recognize actual information even if it was shoved right up theirs. especially since they repeatedly published false information and unauthenticated sources, they even imagined interviews and invented quoted material.
So my recommendation is put the editors name in your column if you are serious about it, it’s shocking that you are shocked that this is going on Nas….
meh… ENJOY!
@bambam: sorry, i didn’t get it..what am i supposed to be shocked by?
nas – it would take a whole page to fill the celebrities of the Pan-Arab region!
“A journalist almost arrested”
Wow thats almost a story! Just kidding, sorry I’m just feeling very giddy thus idiotic.
Seriously though, hopefully the right message comes across, that being King Abdullah’s declaration.