Akeed - Aya al-Khwaldeh

The number of rumors spread in August increased significantly in comparison with July, as 53 rumors were recorded in August, compared to 29 rumors in July. The Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor “Akeed” attributes this increase to the rise in the number of coronavirus cases, as well as the preparations to start the new academic year.

A relatively similar increase in the spread of rumors was recorded seen last April, May and June, when a total of 49, 51, and 43 rumors were registered, respectively. The hike in the number could be attributed to the development of the pandemic, and the repercussions of the procedures and laws that followed.

The rumors spread in August varied in topic, although the largest portion focused on the health sector, and especially the recording of new coronavirus cases. A significant number of rumors was also connected to the education sector, in particular addressed the resumption of on campus teaching for the new academic year, and the procedures taken by the Ministry of Education to prevent coronavirus infections.

The rumors promoted in August are also noteworthy for the greater role that news outlets played in spreading them. A total of 20 rumors, or 37.7% of them, were spread this way, in comparison to just eight, or 27.5% of the rumors spread in July.

The source of the rumors: internal or external?

Using a quantitative and qualitative methodology, Akeed analyzed the topics of the rumors shared via online news sites, social media platforms, and media outlets in August, and found that 50 of them, or 94.3%, originated within Jordan, whether via social media or news sites. 3 rumors, meanwhile, came from outside Jordan, accounting for 5.7% of the total.

Rumors sources according to the method of publication

Through its monitoring, Akeed found that 33 rumors came from social media accounts, making up 62.3% of the total. Meanwhile, 32 of those, or 97% of them, originated from local social media accounts, while only one was generated from a Jordanian abroad, comprising 3% of the total.

A total of 20 rumors were promoted by the media, making up 37.7% of the month’s total,18 of those (90% of them) were published by local media outlets, while 2 rumors (10% of them) were spread by Arab and regional news sources.

Contents of the rumors

Rumors that dealt with the health sector made up the largest portion of the total, with 16 rumors, or 30% of all the rumors spread in August. Meanwhile, 9 rumors dealt with economic affairs, accounting for 17% of the total. Eight rumors dealt with security issues, making up 15.1% of the total, while 12 rumors, or 22.7% of the total, dealt with public affairs issues. Five rumors, or 9.5% of the total, dealt with social affairs, while 3 rumors, dealt with political issues, making up 5.7% of the total.

From social media to media outlets

Three rumors spread from social media outlets to news websites in August, or 5.7% of the total. This is similar to the number of rumors that spread this way during July, when 2 rumors, or 6.9% of that month’s total, spread from social media to news outlets.

Local news sites, quoting Facebook, published inaccurate information about the travel of a coronavirus patient from Irbid to other governorates, such as the capital Amman and Balqa’, in relation to his job duties as a lawyer. It was found that the infected person, in fact, abided by quarantine guidelines and did not go to any of these locations.

Some news sites also published inaccurate information about a number of new coronavirus cases being recorded in various areas, based on information circulated on social media, while official sources denied these claims.

The most prominent rumors: a breakdown by topic

Below are the most prominent rumors that Akeed monitored, which were spread widely via social media platforms and media outlets, according to the topics designated by Akeed.

Public affairs rumors

Starting in May, Akeed started using a new classification for rumors related to issues of public affairs, such as primary, secondary, and higher education, labor unions, and decisions about official and national holidays.

Among the education sector-related rumors that were published and circulated on news sites in August, and which received widespread attention, was one claiming that the “Education Pension Fund was empty, and that documents related to the fund had been destroyed after the case had been referred to the Anti-Corruption Commission”. Meanwhile, the Education Ministry confirmed that the fund is “secure, and there are no problems related to it, and the Ministry is in possession of its documents”.

Education Minister Tayseer al-No’ami, spoke to Akeed and refuted rumors that were spreading on social media about informing top Tawjihi students of their exam results prior to the official announcement day. He stressed, then, that the date for announcing the results had not yet been determined.

The Ministry of Education also denied a rumor that was circulated about the schedule for primary and secondary students for the upcoming school year, claiming that students would have remote classes twice a week, and 3 days in-person. The ministry’s General Secretary for Administrative and Financial Affairs, Dr. Najwa Qubeilat, clarified that these are just suggestions and they have not been approved yet at the time that rumor was circulating.

Another rumor that was spread in August, which was published on news sites and social media pages, claimed that students living in al-Ramtha district were prohibited from taking the comprehensive exam. Al-Balqa’ Applied University clarified that when the government announced that it would be isolating al-Ramtha district to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the univesrsity conducted the necessary communications to allow the comprehensive exam to be administered to residents of the neighborhood at the designated time, at Musa’ab bin Amir School.

Health rumors

Akeed monitored eight rumors in August that dealt specifically with the novel coronavirus and the repercussions and procedures surrounding it, out of 16 health sector rumors in total. The eight rumors focused on claims about newly registered cases of the virus in a number of governorates, including Irbid, Balqa’, and Aqaba, as well as the southern Ghor area. These were all repudiated, and the General Director for the Jordanian Food and Drug Administration (JFDA), Dr. Nazar Muhaidat, also denied that any employees of the JFDA were infected with the virus. He clarified that what had been spread on news sites about an alleged infection within the administration was not accurate, and said that the person being referenced actually worked as a pharmacist in the private sector, and only visited the JFDA for appointments.

Among the rumors that Akeed tracked related to the health sector was one that dealt with cases of “falafel” poisoning in Madaba. A number of news sites spread inaccurate information on this topic, and it was found that a number of residents visited the hospital due stomach issues, which had no connection to poisoning symptoms.

Economic rumors

Among the most prominent economic rumors spread in August was one spread by local media outlets about importing poultry from Ukraine, despite the suspension of imports from that country, as a result of a case of bird flu being documented at the beginning of the current year. The Ministry of Agriculture clarified that the last import of frozen poultry from Ukraine was before the infection was documented, during December 2019. It was then stored in temporary facilities in free zones, as the meat was slaughtered and prepared more than 45 days before it arrived to Jordan, and two months before the case was recorded.

Among the rumors spread by local media sites, which were spread widely on social media, was one about an alleged financial disagreement behind the reasons for the delayed reopening of the Queen Alia International Airport. The rumor claimed that the official narratives on this issue conflicted the reasons behind the delay. The government confirmed, through a number of official statements, that the reason for the airport’s continued closure was related to the health situation in Jordan and in other countries due to the pandemic.

The government also denied a rumor that was spread by local media outlets that claimed that it had paid fines or benefits because of the suspension of activities at the airport. It clarified that the government was not paying any fines for that reason, either to the airport or to the companies, as a result of the disruption of air traffic during the pandemic.

Political rumors

One political rumor which was spread by media sites in August claimed that businessman Talal abu Ghazaleh’s name had been put forth as a candidate to be the Prime Minister. Abu Ghazaleh denied the accuracy of this information, clarifying that his responsibilities do not permit him to accept any positions, and that the statement published in his name was not true.

Hussain Haza’ al-Majali also denied the truth of a rumor that was spread about him on social media, about the possibility that he would be selected to form a new government to succeed the government of Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz. He clarified that there was no truth to this information.

Social rumors

One social rumor that was spread in August, and which was denied by the Jordan Tourism Board, claimed that a social media celebrity had been contracted to promote tourism in Jordan, and had been paid large sums of money to do so. The celebrity was actually invited to tour the Kingdom, as part of the “Urdunna Janna” marketing campaign, since she had over one million followers.

Prominent accounts on social media also circulated a video clip that showed a dispute breaking out between two khatibs at a mosque during Friday prayers, which ended in the two giving the sermon together. Although accounts attributed the video to a Jordanian governorate, Akeed verified the authenticity of the video and found that it occurred in a neighboring Arab country, and was unaffiliated with Jordan.

Security rumors

Security agencies denied a number of rumors in August, among the most prominent, one rumor that security services were chasing a woman in one of the governorates. The media spokesperson for the Public Security Directorate (PSD), Amer al-Sartawi, confirmed that no woman had been pursued, and that if any woman had been subjected to pursuit, she should go immediately to the nearest security center and report the incident.

Among the rumors related to security affairs was a fabricated declaration by a local satellite channel, which claimed that a full day curfew would be implemented on Friday, August 15th, followed by a total closure of all governorates. Government agencies denied the accuracy of this information, clarifying that any decisions of that nature would be made by referring to its COVID-19 policy matrix, and according to developments in the situation related to the pandemic.

Social media users also re-shared old news from a local satellite station, claiming that all entrances and exits from the capital, Amman, will be closed as of Thursday, August 20th. The satellite station denied the accuracy of that post, confirming that it is outdated and that they had not published it.

Security authorities also denied the accuracy of an military recruitment announcement, confirming that the advertisement was fabricated and that legal measures would be taken against the parties that fabricated and published it. The PSD confirmed that any military recruitment announcements are published exclusively through newspapers and official websites connected to the directorate.

Akeed believes that the fundamental rule in dealing with content produced by social media users is to avoid reposting anything unless it has been confirmed by a reliable source. Relying on social media users as a source of news without taking into account the accuracy of the information they spread results in the publication of many inaccurate news reports, and in turn the contributes to the spread of rumors.

Accordingly, Akeed’s monitoring relied on identifying obvious rumors that are clearly untrue, or news that is proven to be untrue in the days following its publication.

Akeed has developed a set of basic principles to verify content produced by social media users, whether it in the form of  video clips, written content, or even audio clips. These principles clarify the need to ask a set of questions before making the decision to publish the produced content.

Akeed has developed a methodology to monitor rumors, which defines a rumor as “inaccurate information related to Jordanian public affairs or interests, that has reached more than approximately 5,000 people, via digital media.”

Rumors often flourish in unusual circumstances, such as times of crisis, wars, natural disasters, and other uncertain occasions. But this does not mean that they do not spread in normal circumstances. It is also known that rumors get promoted in particular social, political, and cultural environments more than others, with their spread depending on their ambiguity, and the sensitivity of their topic.