AKEED, Husam Assal

Most media outlets followed the incidents that accompanied the Jordan Cup final between Faisali and Jazira last Wednesday in a neutral manner as most of them avoided discussing the incident of the posting of a video clip, which is hard to verify, showing shouts by the fans of one of the two teams cheering for Israel.

The video clip, which circulated on social media platforms prior to the game, is said to show fans of Faisali Club attacking the fans of a rival team by using indecent words and insults and cheering for Israel. This has created big confusion and a lot of controversy between platform users.

The controversy had several aspects. Some people attributed this act to a group of fans of Faisali Club, while others attacked and criticized the nature of the shouts. Other viewers said that the video had been doctored and that the voice on the video was not the real voice. Meanwhile, social media platforms carried a report to the effect that the person who doctored the video clip was arrested.

Local media outlets steered clear of the controversy that accompanied the video clip. They only denied what was reported on social media platforms about the arrest of the person described as the one who "fabricated the video" or doctored it. They indicated that security agencies were still investigating the incident. Meanwhile, a London-based Arabic newspaper handled the incident without sensationalism or mobilization; it only reported the facts and incidents.

Rioting and violence erupted toward the end of the match between the players of the two teams. Members of the Gendarmerie intervened. The violence moved outside the stadium as unknown persons attacked the building of Jazira Club in the city of Amman.

The media steered clear of this controversy and confusion and only covered the game and its details in a sportsmanlike and neutral manner.

One website marched to a different drummer by publishing a report about the game in a provocative way, which is biased in favor of one team at the expense of the other. The report carried the headline "Faisali Breaks Noses of Jazira Supporters With Fiery Game…Video." The headline used the expression "breaking noses," whose use has caused great provocation in this sports season.

Some media outlets reported on the attack by unknown persons on the building of Jazira Club in the capital, Amman. They also carried a statement by Jazira Club, announcing freezing the sports activity of the club until its demands are met.

The Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor (AKEED) thinks that the majority of media outlets demonstrated commendable conduct in covering the events of the Jordan Cup final without mobilizing public opinion. Thus, they maintained social solidarity and kept the game and its incidents within its sports context.

This conduct agrees with the Press Code of Honor, which states in Article 4 that "journalists shall commit to showing respect for religions, not fueling racist or sectarian discord, and not insulting the values of society." Also, Article 5 stresses that "journalists shall be committed to working toward underlining national unity and calling for social solidarity."