Husam Assal, AKEED

Several electronic sites published incorrect news to the effect that the conference for supporting Syria and neighboring countries in Brussels had allocated the amount of 4.81 billion U.S. dollars to support Jordan as a country hosting Syrian refugees. The share of Jordan and other countries from the grants and support of the conference had not been identified in the first place.

The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation published a statement last Sunday titled "Minister of Planning Takes Part in Sessions of Conference Hosted by EU in Brussels on Future of Syria and Region," which provided details of Jordan"s participation in the conference and the outputs of the conference and details of financial assistance to be extended. However, there was no mention of the share of any neighboring countries from the total financial assistance.

Several electronic sites published a story taken from the Jordan News Agency "Petra" about assistance offered by the Brussels conference. The story was published under a headline that differed from that of Petra. It read: "Good News for Jordanians: $4.81 Billion New Grants and Aid to Jordan." The story included a wrong figure about Jordan"s share of aid. The figure does not exist in the body of the item or in the statement by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

Meanwhile, several electronic sites and daily newspapers published the story without including the wrong figure about Jordan"s share of aid. They were satisfied with the figures mentioned in the statement of the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the story of the Jordan News Agency "Petra."

The Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor (AKEED) called Issam al-Majali, press spokesman for the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, who denied that the sum of $4.81 billion U.S. dollars was allocated as Jordan"s share of aid from the Brussels conference. He added that there was no allocation of shares from aid for any country as this share would be allocated later based on bilateral negotiations and the proposed projects by each state and the number of refugees in it.

Al-Majali noted that he had noticed that some electronic sites published these wrong figures. He contacted two electronic sites to correct the news. The two sites corrected it.

The AKEED Monitor believes that this conduct lacks accuracy in reporting news and misleads readers by stories and figures that do not exist. Besides, this runs counter to the Press Code of Honor, in Article 9, which states the following:

"The mission of journalism requires accuracy and objectivity, and its practice requires confirming the accuracy of information and news before publishing it. In this context, journalists shall observe the following:

A. Not publishing unconfirmed, misleading, distorted, or propagandistic information, including pictures, articles, and comments. Also, a clear distinction must be made between fact and commentary or opinion and news.

B. Correcting published information if it turns out that there is a mistake in it. The press or media establishment must immediately publish a correction or apology for any distortion or mistake to which it was a party, and give the right of reply to any wrong piece of information to individuals and to official and civil society organizations that are concerned with the published subject and whenever there is a need for this. They must publish apologies in appropriate cases and as a standard procedure."

AKEED had previously monitored a similar practice concerning the publishing of news about grants and aid, using wrong and inaccurate figures.