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Journalists pin hopes for print media on Lower House meeting

By Muath Freij - Apr 04,2015 - Last updated at Apr 04,2015

AMMAN — With the Lower House scheduled to meet Sunday to discuss the “worsening financial situation” of the print media, some journalists were hopeful that lawmakers will contribute to resolving the sector’s crisis.

Jordan Press Association (JPA) President Tareq Momani commended the Lower House’s interest in the situation of print media outlets.

“We have high hopes for the Lower House meeting because its members have a monitoring role over the government. We hope that the recommendations of Parliament will be taken seriously,” Momani told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

The JPA on Thursday called on the government to intervene to resolve the “alarming crisis” of the print media.

It stressed in a statement the need to deal with the country’s major newspapers aside from the consideration of profits and losses, warning that the crisis could reach a point of no return.

Ghaith Adailah, a journalist at Al Rai daily, said he is optimistic about the role of the Lower House. 

“Al Rai is one of the leading newspapers in Jordan and the main problem it faces is the complications that have arisen from the new printing press, which has become a burden rather than an advantage,” Adailah added.

The JD11 million complex, constructed on a 10,000-square-metre plot of land, is blamed for the losses incurred by the Jordan Press Foundation, the company that publishes Al Rai and The Jordan Times.

The state-owned Social Security Investment Fund owns around 55 per cent of foundation’s shares.

Adailah said past Al Rai managements did not take advantage of the profits it used to make.

“They did not use them, for example, to establish a radio station or invest in real state. They preferred to invest in a printing press,” he added.

In previous remarks to The Jordan Times, Momani said the government can take several measures to prevent the collapse of print media outlets.

He suggested unifying the prices of newspaper advertisements for both the government and private institutions.

Currently, the government pays for ads by word, while private institutions pay by space, according to Momani. If the method of calculation adopted is per space, newspapers’ incomes would increase, he said.

Hamzeh Mazraawi, a photojournalist at Jordan’s oldest newspaper Ad-Dustour and a member of the JPA, expressed hope that the recommendations of the Lower House will be to the benefit of print media. 

“The mismanagement of print media is one of the reasons for the current situation. Due to the delays in salaries, many employees decided to work at local websites instead,” Mazraawi added.  

However, Omar Maharmeh, a journalist at Ad-Dustour, said he has no hopes for Sunday’s session. 

“There will be only recommendations and even if the recommendations are for the benefit of print media, the Lower House cannot impose them,” he added. 

Maharmeh said the managements of print media outlets could not keep up with the advancements in the sector.

“Many of those administering print media outlets are still working the old fashion way. They should have used the new shape of media for their own benefit to further develop their work and attract a wider audience,” he added.  

On Saturday, employees and journalists at Ad-Dustour daily demonstrated outside its premises to demand that the government and management find a solution to the financial difficulties facing the Arabic newspaper.

Employees said they have not received their salaries for nearly five months.

Last week, Al Rai employees observed partial work stoppages on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday to demand reforms at the foundation. The newspapers employees in the governorates have also been demonstrating over a potential decision to close their offices.

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