Akeed – Dana Al Emam

A total of 60 rumors were documented during November, forming a slight increase compared to October when 53 rumors had been recorded.

An examination of November rumors reveals that there was a notable increase in those related to the health sector; these 20 rumors made up 33% of the total, in comparison to the 14 health rumors that had made up 26% of the total in October. The Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor “Akeed” attributes this to record increases in the number of coronavirus cases, which on multiple days throughout the month exceeded 5,000 cases; and, on one day in November, reached nearly 8,000 cases.

There were repeated rumors about the impending announcement of a total lockdown to last between two days, two weeks, three weeks, and a month. The government and security services denied these rumors on more than seven separate occasions.

Rumor sources according to their origin

Akeed utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the topics of rumors spreading among online news sites, social media networks, and media outlets. It found that 56 of the rumors in November originated from within Jordan, whether via social media platforms or from news outlets. These accounted for 93% of all rumors documented in this month, while 4 rumors (7% of the total) originated outside Jordan.

Rumors sources according to the method of publication

Akeed found that 42 rumors, or 70% of the month’s total, originated on social media. Only one of these (2% of the total) was published on a foreign social media account, while the remainder (98% of the total) were published on local accounts.

The number of rumors propagated by the media reached 16, accounting for 27% of the total. The vast majority of these (14 in total, or 87.5%) were issued by local media outlets, while foreign media outlets published just two rumors (12.5% of the total).

Akeed identified two rumors emerging from official sources, amounting to 3% of the total. They were shared widely on social media platforms and media outlets before being rectified by the authorities.

Rumor topics

The most common topic was the health sector, with 20 rumors (33% of the month’s total) dealing with health issues. It was followed by the security sector, about which there were 15 rumors (25%). The number of rumors dealing with economic affairs stood at nine (15% of the month’s total), followed by seven rumors about political affairs (12%). There were six social rumors (10% of the month’s total), while the least common topic was public affairs–about which there were three rumors (5%).

Migration of rumors from social media to media outlets

In November, four rumors (5% of the month’s total) migrated from social media platforms to news sites. This was close to the number of rumors that spread this way in October, when four such rumors made up 7.5% of the total that month.

Local news sites cited misinformation from social media about the government's intention to reopen the Jaber border crossing. This  was denied by the Ministry of Interior, which stressed that no governmental decision had been made with regard to the topic and implored citizens to obtain information from its official sources.

A local news site likewise committed a professional violation after it published misinformation circulating on social media about the Jordanian Electricity Company's intention to start mortgaging the properties of defaulting customers and selling them on public auction. This would force the defaulting customers who have not paid their bills to mortgage their properties in exchange for continued electricity provision. The Jordanian Electricity Company, in turn, denied that the company was pursuing new aims (represented by bond sales and mortgaging); and emphasized that “mortgages will not affect customers in any way”.

Most prominent rumors by topic

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

In the beginning of May, Akeed delineated a new classification for rumors relating to public affairs issues, such as primary, secondary, and university education; labor unions; and decisions about official and national holidays. 

Among the rumors that circulated on news websites in November and generated substantial attention were those dealing with education. Media outlets reported that the Minister of Education, Tayseer Al-Noaimi had “excoriated mothers and blamed them” for the fact that 38% of students were not attending their online classes. The ministry denied this in a statement that was circulated subsequently, explaining that the minister had said that 62 percent of students continuously attended online classes every day of the week. This did not mean, however, that the remaining 38% had not attended classes at all; but rather they were attending three or four days a week.

Among the rumors that were refuted by the authorities was misinformation published by a local online news site about the Ministry of Higher Education’s decision to hold the second university semester online. The ministry’s spokesperson, Muhannad al-Khatib, denied this claim and indicated that the Ministry had not yet decided about the possibility of returning to in-person education in universities. He stressed that the epidemiological situation would be the decisive factor in taking such decisions.

Medical Rumors:

In November, there were a variety of rumors related to the novel coronavirus and related incidents and policies. Akeed monitored 20 rumors concerning the health sector, with these revolving around the reported number of coronavirus infections and details about those who have died from the virus. Among these rumors were reports that 99.9% of beds allocated for coronavirus patients at public hospitals in Irbid governorate had been filled up; that two Jordanians held captive in Israeli prisons had been infected with the coronavirus; and that 9,000 coronavirus infections had been recorded on November 19th, a rumor that was published ahead of the government’s daily briefing on official coronavirus case numbers. All of these rumors were subsequently refuted.

Similarly, the Ministry of Health’s Secretary-General for Epidemiological Affairs, Dr. Wail Hayajneh, ruled out social media speculation about a significant increase in coronavirus infections that would be seen after the parliamentary elections. He noted that the elections had not caused a jump in the prevalence of the virus in Jordan.

The Director of Prince Hamzah Hospital, Dr. Majid Naseer, refuted social media reports that the Emirati-Chinese vaccine had been used on coronavirus patients in hospitals across the kingdom. He explained that this vaccine is not even available for use yet, nor available in hospitals; and that it is not part of the treatment protocol for coronavirus patients in Jordan.

Among the misinformation relating to the health sector that was denied by the government were media reports about coronavirus cases being recorded in a factory in Aqaba. Media outlets claimed that this factory, which was originally designed for manufacturing clothing and now producing masks, had recorded more than 2,000 coronavirus cases in a single day. Authorities refuted this, saying that this clothing factory had been used to produce masks for a one-time donation to the government in March. The factory then ceased manufacturing masks, according to the official authorities, while approximately just 1,600 cases had been  recorded there.

Security Rumors:

Security officials refuted several rumors over the course of November about the government’s plan to implement a total lockdown of varying lengths. Notably, this rumor recurred seven times at various dates over the course of November. At the beginning of the month the government denied a rumor spreading on social media sites about a set of measures for dealing with the widespread outbreak of coronavirus, including a weekly imposition of two-day lockdowns; increasing curfew hours; and a ban on travel between governorates. This was denied by the government through the Office of the Prime Minister’s “Your Right to Know” platform.

Similarly, a rumor spread regarding the government's intention to declare a lengthy lockdown beginning after the parliamentary election day, for a period far longer than the four days that the government had previously announced. This was denied by the Health Minister Dr. Nathir Obeidat, while the official government spokesperson, Minister of State for Media Affairs Ali Al Ayed, underlined that the government had not taken a decision regarding the imposition of a lockdown; and that prevailing measures would continue.

One of the rumors that spread among social media users alleged that the head of the Public Security Directorate, Major General Hussein Al-Hawatmeh, had submitted his retirement so as to be nominated to assume the portfolio of the Ministry of Interior in the wake of Minister Tawfiq Al-Halalmah’s resignation.

A security source denied misinformation shared by social media users which held that two people who had been featured in a video rolling on the ground in a state of collapse in Irbid governorate had been using a new drug known as Flakka. According to the source, tests conducted after the youths had been arrested revealed that they had consumed [the drug locally known as] Joker. A security source also denied reports about the death of someone who had accidentally been shot in the head during a fight which recently occurred in the town of Al-Sareeh in Irbid.

Economic Rumors:

Among the most prominent economic rumors that social media users propagated in November, was one concerning the granting of licenses by the Ministry of Agriculture for the importation of guava. The Ministry denied this and stressed its continued support for local guava cultivation.

The Ministry of Transport similarly denied media reports about the government's intention to halt travel into and out of Jordan and close airports. The Ministry’s spokesperson, Tariq al-Zoubi, explained that “what news sites quoted the Minister of Transport, Marwan Al-Khaitan, as saying with regard to the government's intention to impose a ban on air travel into and out of the Kingdom was taken out of context.” He emphasized that “there is no plan to make a decision of this sort.”

Political rumors:

Political rumors that circulated on social media platforms in November included misinformation about the participation of military personnel in voting during the parliamentary elections. The media spokesperson for the Independent Election Commission (IEC), Jihad al-Momani, denied this rumor and explained that, after investigating the matter, it turned out the voters in question were from the Customs Authorities. He added that their clothing is not considered military uniform.

The IEC also denied a rumor about the designation of specific hours for coronavirus patients to vote in the parliamentary elections. It said that it will coordinate with the Health and the National Epidemiology Committee to identify those infected with the virus and prevent them from voting in the elections.

Social Rumors:

Among the social rumors that spread during November was one circulated by leading social media accounts about the deteriorating health and death of the Director of Royal Medical Services, Dr. Adel Al-Wahadneh. Private sources denied this rumor, indicating that Al-Wahdneh was in stable condition following his infection with the coronavirus.

Similarly, a source in the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs denied the validity of videos of a shooting that allegedly occurred during a reception of Minister Mohammed Al Khalayleh, following his recovery from coronavirus. The sources confirmed that Al Khalayleh had been subject to home quarantine for the duration of his sickness and did not leave his house.

Akeed firmly believes, and indeed takes it as a guiding principle, that content produced by social media users should not be republished unless it has been verified by a reliable source. Relying on social media users as a news source without taking into account the accuracy of such information leads to the publication of a great deal of misinformation and the propagation of rumors.

Akeed hence worked to identify obviously false rumors, or those news stories that were proven to be untrue in the days following their publication.

Akeed has developed a set of basic criteria to verify user content, regardless of whether it is visual, written, or aural. These principles clarify the need to ask a series of fundamental questions before deciding to publish content originally produced on social media.

Akeed has developed a methodology for monitoring rumors, by which rumors were defined to be “misinformation relating to Jordanian public affairs or Jordanian interests, that has spread via digital media to reach more than approximately 5,000 people.”

Rumors typically proliferate in extraordinary circumstances, such as in times of crisis, war, or natural disasters. This does not mean, however, that they do not spread under normal circumstances as well. It is also well-known that rumors are widely propagated in specific social, political, and cultural environments. Their prevalence depends on the degree of their ambiguity and the relative importance of their subject matter.