JMI partnered with Article 19, funded by the United Nations Development Fund, to strengthen Media Information Literacy as a positive measure for the protection and promotion of freedom of expression in Jordan. Running from November 2024 to June 2025, the programme brought together 12 participants from diverse academic backgrounds across Jordan, guiding them through five progressive stages designed to build practical MIL skills in a real-world media context.
Trainer Sawsan Zaydeh led sessions on recognising media bias, distinguishing misinformation from disinformation, and understanding how stereotypes shape news framing. Social media strategist Amer Dalu then walked participants through designing digital media campaigns tailored to Jordanian audiences, including how algorithms work and how to use them effectively.
Participants produced their own content, reels, posts, podcasts, and voiceovers, each tackling a distinct MIL topic: algorithms, language in media, news verification, bias in headlines, and digital responsibility. Concurrently, JMI worked with certified MIL trainer Safa Al Ramahi to produce three audiovisual capsules on fake vs. real information, algorithmic influence, and responsible free speech.
Seven additional students from universities across Jordan joined the programme in February 2025. The full cohort attended four expert-led sessions covering freedom of expression, hate speech detection, satirical journalism, and web television production. Pre and post-session surveys confirmed a clear increase in participants' confidence and capability.
All 12 participants collaborated in pairs under the guidance of Dr. Abdullah Kafaween to produce six audiovisual capsules tackling real issues in the Jordanian media landscape, stereotypes, hate speech, fact-checking, free speech, and cyberbullying.
Participants left with a solid foundation in MIL and the tools to keep developing independently. The standout insight was the power of hands-on production, working with cameras, green screens, and real platforms turned theoretical knowledge into applied skill.
