AKEED, Osama Rawajfeh

The results published on local news sites on Wednesday morning, 14 June 2017, of the third reshuffle of Dr. Hani Mulki"s Cabinet were contrary to the expectations of media outlets regarding the names of outgoing ministers. This made some sites replace the piece that spoke about their predictions with the official report, which included accepting the resignation of the ministers of transport, social development, and energy.

Electronic sites had reported heavily on the anticipated reshuffle in light of the lack of information. The reports published prior to the official announcement of the resignation of the three ministers had totaled 86, most of which (85) spoke about the expected outgoing ministers who number 4-7 ministers. Meanwhile, no media outlet, with the exception of one website that AKEED monitored, had expected the names of the incoming ministers.

Most expectations of the outgoing ministers centered on the ministers of health, interior, tourism and antiquities, industry and trade, awqaf and Islamic affairs, social development, transport, labor, ministers of state, culture, and agriculture. Some websites used headlines about a broad reshuffle of Mulki"s government. However, contrary to expectations, the reshuffle involved three ministers only.

According to analyses that preceded the official announcement of the reshuffle, the outgoing ministers were led by the minister of health, minister of industry and trade, and minister of tourism. The expectations proved to be wrong. It was clear that there was media pressure in that direction.

According to the same analyses, the reasons for the reshuffle were confined to the case of spoiled chicken, which was raised during Ramadan and in which those involved were referred to the judiciary; the concert of "Mashrou" Leila," which was canceled by the minister of interior in spite of the approval of the minister of tourism; and other personal differences between ministers and lack of coordination.

Daily newspapers, as well as Ro"ya TV, published news on their websites about the reshuffle of Mulki"s Cabinet before it occurred, expecting the outgoing ministers to be four. However, they did not name them. The website of Al Rai was not involved in the predictions; it highlighted the official news as soon as it was announced. It is noticed that the report published by the newspapers and Ro"ya TV, which was carried by other sites, was the closest to the truth.

This is the third reshuffle of Mulki"s government, which was formed in June 2016. The Cabinet was re-formed in September 2016 after the parliamentary elections. Mulki had to make the first reshuffle when he removed a minister 24 hours after forming the Cabinet because his appointment was illegal. He then made another expanded reshuffle, which included some key government portfolios, on 15 January 2017.

Based on the 86 reports published on the reshuffle and the official announcement of the resignation of the three ministers, 11 Arabic news sites handled the event, quoting Jordanian websites, while four Arabic websites provided analysis of the reshuffle after it was announced.

The news about the reshuffle was repeated using one headline on more than one website "Mulki"s Cabinet Most Likely To Be Reshuffled," which shows that news sites continue to rely on cutting and pasting from other sites without reviewing the news well or developing it or even confirming its credibility. It is noticed that the news is copied in the same headline and wording.