AKEED, Aya Khawaldeh

On 13 February, most local media outlets published a report by Phoenix Center for Economic and Informatics Studies under the controversial headline "Suspicion of Human Trafficking," in reference to a strike by workers at a garment factory in Irbid.

The strike, which started on 25 January and which the center reported on its website, did not receive attention by most local media, including printed, audiovisual, and electronic outlets. The Jordanian Media Credibility Monitor (AKEED) followed what was published on the issue by using the search engine Google and the key words "strike, Toptex Factory, worker strike, sit-in, and protest." It turned out that the issue was absent from the media as none of the establishments mentioned it.

The media reported on the subject 18 days after the strike. This happened after the issuance of two reports, the first by Phoenix Center, which is affiliated with Jordan Labor Watch, on Sunday, 12 February, headlined "Conditions Unbearable for Workers at Toptex Garment Factory: Suspicions of Human Trafficking of Migrant Workers at Al Hassan Industrial Estate in Irbid." The second was published by Tamkeen Fields for Aid Center on the same day under the headline "Numerous Violations Against Workers at Garment Factory in Al Hassan Estate."

The headline "Suspicion of Human Trafficking" intrigued many local media outlets, which republished the report, alongside the second report, under the following headlines:

Report: Violations Against Migrant Workers at Garment Factory Amount to Suspicion of Human Trafficking

Report Monitors Violations Against Workers at Toptex Garment Factory

Irbid: Suspicion of "Human Trafficking" of Workers at Garment Factory

Suspicion of "Human Trafficking" of Workers at Garment Factory in Al Hassan Industrial Estate in Irbid

Accusation of Crimes of Human Trafficking at Garment Factory in Al Hassan Industrial Estate/Pictures

Report: Violations Against Migrant Workers at Garment Factory Amount to Suspicion of Human Trafficking

Labor Watch: Suspicions of Human Trafficking of Migrant Workers in Irbid

Suspicions of Human Trafficking at Garment Factory in Irbid

Pictures: Harsh Conditions for Workers at Garment Factory in Al Hassan Estate

Tamkeen Criticizes Workers" Conditions at Garment Factory in Al Hassan Industrial Estate

The two reports spoke about a number of violations that workers face and about depriving them of human and labor rights. One of the reports mentioned the name of the factory, while the other report did not. According to Dr. Sakhr Khasawneh, professor of media legislation and ethics, "a complaint must be submitted first to the Ministry of Labor, which should monitor the factory, issue violations to it, and refer these violations to the competent court. Names must not be published except after a court ruling on conviction is issued." Khasawneh said that publishing the name of the factory is legally permissible because it is a legal person, but it is ethically impermissible as it constitutes a violation and a prior conviction.

The noticeable thing is that all media outlets did not notice the labor case until the two reports were out. They highlighted the content of the two reports, forgetting that there is a more important issue that has to be followed, which is the strike organized by the workers over the past two weeks and the difficult conditions they have been facing. The media only highlighted the two reports. This excludes one daily newspaper, which addressed a question to Mohammed Khatib, official spokesman of the Ministry of Labor, about the truth of these allegations. The spokesman confirmed that there were different violations involving the company that have to do with the work environment, not paying wages, and not renewing work permits. He indicated that there were "113 migrant workers from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka who started a strike on 24 January."

The same newspaper published a follow-up report on the next day under the headline "Ministry of Labor Considers Closing Factory Violating Workers" Rights." It quoted government and independent sources as saying that "the Ministry of Labor is inclined to close a garment factory at Al Hassan Industrial Estate after the increase in violations against its workers and the rise in the number of violations issued to it."

AKEED stresses that it is important for media establishments to adhere to the main objectives of the media, most important of which is the right of society to know and following issues that concern human rights, including workers" rights. This is in addition to playing the role of oversight in cases of corruption and negligence.