Akeed – Aya Al-Khawaldeh

The mistake that many local media outlets committed by publishing photos of survivors and victims of the tragic “Zarqa’ Ma’in” incident has been widely criticized. A total of 21 people lost their lives and dozens were injured, including children who were on a school trip to the area. Children, chaperons, and other picnickers were at the site near the Dead Sea when they were swept away by flash floods caused by heavy rain on Oct. 25th.

Publishing photos and names of children, victims or survivors is considered a flagrant violation of privacy as well as the relevant rules of professional ethics. However, aside from sharing photos taken from social media of the victims, many websites posted images of children alleging they were among the victims without verifying their authenticity. It turned out these were photos of American child model Jan-Cepni, and nine-year old Palestinian singer, Zain Abu Duqqa – who had nothing to do with the incident.

Another photo of a child purportedly among the victims was a cause for much confusion and emotional distress to his relatives. The child, who was among the survivors, promptly contacted the media to deny the news. 

A photo of a child under three years old, body covered in mud and face with dry salt, was another alleged image of one of the survivors of the torrent. The photo, as it turned out, was of a Syrian child who had been pulled out from rubble in Idlib governorate in war-stricken Syria that was taken in 2017.

As websites raced to interview survivors to get the scoop, dailies committed to professional coverage, reporting news and related developments without attaching any photos, a survey by Jordan Media Credibility Monitor “Akeed” showed.

A news website conducted an interview with the father of one of the survivors and attached seven photos of the child lying in hospital bed. Another website posted a three-minute video entitled: “A Student Who Survived the “Death Trip” Recounts Details of the Calamity”. Local TV channels also broadcast interviews with families of the victims and survivors.

Ethically, the media may publish photos for missing persons to help search for them, but under strict rules. This was the case with Sara.

In the absence of regulations pertaining to publishing photos of victims, Akeed has developed a set of relevant guidelines aimed at protecting the lives and dignity of children involved. It is worth noting that media outlets generally Should adhere to the ethical principal that puts the child’s best interest first.

Akeed urges media outlets and social media users to ensure accuracy and objectivity in the stories they post or share. It also urges them not to contribute to spreading rumors at such critical times.