AKEED, Aya Khawaldeh

An official internal letter leaked from the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) and circulated by journalists on social media platforms has renewed the debate about the independence and credibility of media outlets, particularly news websites, vis-à-vis companies from which they receive certain amounts of money in return for promoting their activities. The recently leaked letter included a request by the JPMC media adviser, via an internal memorandum addressed to the CEO on 7 February 2017, for the disbursement of the second payment due to websites for 2016 based on the JPMC"s commitment to a previously signed agreement. The JPMC has already disbursed the first installment.

The second payment totals 500-2500 dinars for each website on the list, which includes 17 websites. The total amount to be paid is 22500 dinars, which is the same amount of the first payment, because the amount is paid in two installments if it exceeds 1,000 dinars, according to Faiq Hjazeen, a former media adviser to the company.

Hjazeen confirmed that the websites that received support last year were around 70. However, the websites that get less than 1,000 dinars do not appear on the list. He noted that the agreement with news websites for 2017 was terminated because of the budget deficit.

The company has been suffering from financial difficulties, which prompted it to declare that it would adopt measures to control spending. This has led to a clash with workers at company factories, generating reactions in the media. The issue was monitored by AKEED under the headline "Issue of Phosphate Workers: Intermittent and Incomprehensive Coverage." AKEED revealed that some websites showed bias in favor of the company, while others only published the statements issued by both sides without exploring the details and addressing all viewpoints.

Hjazeen, who acknowledged to AKEED that the leaked letter was genuine, said that the company, like many other companies and corporations, wanted to cooperate with a number of news websites. Therefore, we resorted to a website that measures media ranking, called Page Rank Checker, to ensure neutralizing the personal aspect in judging the ranking of websites.

He added: "In the past, the company used to pay to those who wished to cooperate with it and publish its news as long as they were licensed by the Press and Publications Department and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. In addition, the media outlet had to have its own premises or professional license. However, the official site Page Rank Checker, which measures several standards that govern the work of these establishments, facilitated the selection of these websites and how much to pay for each one of them, depending on the plans of the company"s management."

Hjazeen explained that 70% of the paid amount was estimated through this website by paying 500-750 dinars for each point-- out of 10 points--that the news website scores. The remaining 30% is estimated by the board of directors or the CEO.

According to Hjazeen, the aim of this media cooperation was for these news websites to allocate some space to news about the company, such as signing new agreements, export and manufacturing activities, social activities, and profit and loss reports. It is its right, like other companies and corporations, to be present on news platforms.

Suleiman Hawwari, head of the media division in the JPMC, acknowledged the authenticity of the letter leaked to AKEED and said that "these amounts are paid in return for publishing news. This is an old policy, which has stopped this year. It used to be followed based on a decision by the board of directors." He added that "the company had previously opened the door to any media establishment that wished to cooperate. The company has the right to turn down the parties that had previously hurt and blackmailed it. These amounts are between 350-3000 dinars."

This phenomenon is not confined to a particular company, such as JPMC. It involves other governmental or semi-governmental companies and corporations, such as the Potash Company, which confirmed to AKEED paying money to dozens of news websites. 

Shafiq Obeidat, media adviser to the Potash Company, told AKEED that the company had maintained cooperation with 90 news websites this year by paying an amount, with a ceiling of 2000 Jordanian dinars, in return for publishing news and advertisements.

Obeidat said that the selection of websites was based on their licensing by the Press and Publications Department, obtaining a trade record from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and pledging to publish all news of the company. The selection is made based on the most important and most visited by readers.

These two companies do not offer direct consumer goods to Jordanian citizens. In other words, promoting their products on news websites is not considered part of advertisements since it targets a local audience that is not directly concerned with the commodities produced by the two companies. The money paid to websites aims chiefly at promoting the activities of these companies.

Rakan Saaideh, president of the Jordan Press Association, says that "media outlets must completely separate advertisements from news." He adds that "media and press content is objective and neutral and is not affected at all by paid advertisements."

Saaideh says that a media outlet that makes its news subject to considerations of advertising would lose its credibility and effect on the public and become a party that is biased in favor of advertisements and advertisers. This is what happens on a large scale in many media outlets, according to Saaideh, as they confuse news with advertisement whereby advertisement dominates the media material and people lose their right to objective knowledge. This is why separation is crucial.

Saaideh noted that it is important to communicate with all parties, especially decision-makers, so as not to let media outlets depart from the path of their true work and not to subject them to financial influence and pressure; i.e. advertisements.

AKEED is of the opinion that publishing advertisements in media outlets as editorial material would confuse readers who are unable to distinguish material published in the press to promote a certain product or official from news material, which should be based on facts and accuracy in publishing.

One form of infringing on people"s right is lack of clarity in the media message. This includes confusing news with advertisements. Advertisements must be clearly separated from editorial material in the press or in any other media outlets. However, if an advertisement is part of the content of the same material and is linked to it, then it must be clearly marked off and it must be published in a prominent place to indicate that it is an advertisement. This should be done through the use of clear formats because such advertisements promote commodities and market items, persons, or institutions.

Going back to the Code of Honor of the Jordan Press Association, it states in Article 17 that advertisements may not be confused with editorial material and that opinion must be clearly distinguished from advertisement. Readers may not be exposed to political views or ideas or propaganda by assuming the form of editorial material. In this context, the following has to be observed:

• Advertisement is a social service whose function is to promote products that benefit consumers. This promotion does not require lying and deception. Publishers must verify facts and figures in it.
• Political advertisements by foreign entities may not be published except after ascertaining that they agree with national policy. The fees for these advertisements must be consistent with declared prices so that advertisements would not turn into indirect assistance by a foreign country.
• Journalists must not sign off on advertisements in order to prevent advertisers from taking advantage of their status or moral influence.
• Advertising material (editorial or otherwise) must explicitly state that it is advertisement.

According to Article 7 of the Press and Publications Law, the ethics of the journalistic profession are binding on journalists. These include not bringing or soliciting advertisements. Article 9 of the Press Code of Honor states the following: "The mission of the press requires accuracy and objectivity. Practicing it requires verifying the accuracy of information and news before publishing it. Journalists may not publish unconfirmed, misleading, or distorted information or advertising material, including pictures, articles and comments. Also, a clear distinction must be made between fact and news on the one hand and opinion on the other."