Media Accountability in Authoritarian and Transitional Systems The Cases of Jordan and Tunisia

1. Session 13 Media Accountability in Authoritarian and Transitional SystemsThe Cases of Jordan and Tunisia By Judith Pies Photo: imago/ecomedia/robert fishman

2. Features of Journalism in (Soft) Authoritarian Regimes • Limited press freedom • Limited access to information • Regime-controlled access to profession • Direct and indirect censorship • Regime-controlled journalism education • Economic requirements limit regime-critical media outlets photo: unesco.org.uk

3. Regime Dominance inHolding the Media to Acocunt Politicalaccountability (strong) Market accountability (controlled by regime) Modes of media accountability Media Professional accountability (weak) Public accountability (growing) Source: Adapted from Bardoel/D‘Haenens2004

4. The Case of Jordan • Limited media liberalization since the martial law has been lifted in 1989 2002 1993 2007 2011 Opening the journalists association for ALL journalists (not only print media and state broadcasters) Opening of the print media sector for private ownership (only since 2007 licencing as companies has been possible) Partly opening of the broad-casting sector for private ownership (still strict govern-mental licensing controll, partly censored) Acces to Information Law (not yet fully implemented) Source: Adapted from Pies/Nedjaa 2013

5. Status Quo of Self-Regulation in Jordan • Under the patronage of the regime HMC Freedoms Commitee JPA Disciplinary Council Symbols of how ‚self-regulation‘ functions in authoritarian regimes • The Higher Media Council (HMC) was meant to replace the Ministry of Information in 2001 and to support „professional journalism“. • The HMC Freedoms Commitee was established to moderate between media organisations and people complaining about them. • Members were appointed by the king. • Media organisations had to agree on discussing complaints • The HMC and the Commitee failed • The Jordan Press Assoication (JPA) has been instrumentalized by the regime since 1989. • The Disciplinary Council is meant to moderate complaints against the press . • Members are appointed by the JPA steering committee. • Decisions are legally binding. • Convictions can lead to a ban from the profession. • The number of disciplinary councils is growing Photo: Judith Pies

6. Status Quo of Self-Regulation in Jordan • Codes of Ethics Professional Level The code of ethics by the Jordanian Press Association (JPA) was part of a deal between government and JPA to prevent further tightening of the press law in 2003. The deal included that parts of the code had to integrated in the press law. Screenshot: jpa.jo Organisational Level Since 2007 the number of codes of ethics on the organizational level has been growing. Outlets having a code of ethics are for example Ammonnews website, Al-Ghad newspaper, Petra news agency. Screenshot: alghad.com Screenshot: ammonnews.net

7. Perception of Self-Regulation by Jordanian Journalists • Results from the MediaAcT-Survey (2012) Support for sanctions Scepticism towards formal institutions of regulation e.g. press councils Strong support for responsible media % %

8. Table 7: Actor transparency in Jordanian online newspapers and news websites Table 7: Actor transparency in Jordanian online newspapers and news websites • Media Accountability by Online Media Organisations • Results from a content analysis (Pies/Madanat 2011) Actor transparency in Jordanian online newspapers and news websites Actor Transparency partly applied Source: Pies/Madanat 2011: 17 Production transparency in Jordanian online newspapers and news websites Production Transparency partly applied Source: Pies/Madanat 2011: 21 Responsive Practices in Jordanian online newspapers and news websites Responsive practices widely applied Source: Pies/Madanat 2011: 22

9. MediaAccountability Initiatives by Citizens • Jordanian examples Sahafi.jo website Aim Collecting, editing and archiving coverage of media and journalism news in Jordan and the Arab World Screenshot: www.sahafi.jo Aim Improving radio news coverage, adjusting the news agenda to local needs, supporting news gathering. AmmanNet listeners‘ club Screenshot: www.ammannet.net 7iber.com citizens‘ platform Aim Holding the media to account for what they don‘t cover. Improving media literacy, monitoring media coverage. Screenshot: www.7iber.com

10. Public Accountability: A Counter-Balance to the Regime • Results from the MediaAcT Survey (2012) Jordanian journalists strongly support MA mechanisms by the audience

11. Features of Journalism in Transitional Systems • Unclear boundaries of press freedom • Growing access to information • Competition between old and new journalistic actors (e.g. media outlets, journalists organisation) • Boom in new media • Fierce economic situation • Redefinition of relations to the field of power Photo: Nasser Nouri/flickr.com

12. Re-Defining Modes of Holding the Media to Acocunt Politicalaccountability (still strong but fading away) Market accountability (growing) Modes of media accountability Media Public accountability (growing) Professional accountability (under discussion) Source: Adapted from Bardoel/D‘Haenens2004

13. The Case of Tunisia • Fast media liberalization since the revolution in January 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2012 Abolishing the Minis-try of Information and free-zing the main censor institutions (ATCE & ATI) Creation of a national body for information and com-munication reform (INRIC) Licensing of 12 new radio and 5 new television stations Revisions of a new press and media law Passing a law for access to information Drafting regulations for an audiovisual regulatory body (HAICA) Source: Adapted from Pies/Nedjaa 2013 Session 13 - Introduction

14. Status Quo of Self-Regulation in Tunisia • All under discussion in 2013 • Codes of Ethics • Tunisian Journalists Association (SNJT) has revised its code of ethics • Several other codes are under discussion • Press council / Media council • A law for establishing a media council has been drafted – conditions and terms are still under discussion • Ombudsmen • Still don‘t exist but have been debated • Media journalism • Still weak but growing in importance particularly on issues of press freedom

15. Perception of Self-Regulation by Tunisian Journalists • Results from the MediaAcT-Survey (2012) Split about sanctions Scepticism towards formal institutions for regulation e.g. press councils Strong support for responsible media % %

16. MediaAccountability Initiatives by Citizens • Tunisian examples Nawaat.org bloggers‘ platform Aim Adjusting the news agenda to the „real“ needs of society. Collaborative work by journalists and bloggers. Screenshot: www.nawaat.org Arab Working Group for Media Monitoring Aim Monitoring of media coverage to evaluate fair and balanced reporting. Supporting free and fair elections. Screenshot: www.awgmm.org

17. Public Accountability: A GrowingAccountability Mechanism • Results from the MediaAcT Survey (2012) Tunisian journalists support MA mechanisms by the audience

18. Tunisiaand Jordan: Common Features • Public accountability plays an important role • to counterbalance MA from the field of power • To redefine the profession vis à vis societal needs • Transparency is still lacking • Due to insecure political situation • Due to fear of looking unprofessional • Formal institutions of MA are ambivalent • For fear of political hijacking • For loosing control over professional rules • Alternative agenda setting and watching the media from outside media organisations is important

19. References Ferjani, R. 2011a. Transparency is the Order of the Day. Interview on Qantara.de, http://en.qantara.de/Transparency-Is-the-Order-of-the-Day/16972c17424i1p77/index.html Ferjani, R. 2011b. All the sides of censorship: Online media accountability practices in pre-revolutionary Tunisia, http://www.mediaact.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/WP4/MediaAcT_Working_Paper_Tunisia.pdf Ferjani, R. 2011b. Tunisia. The Clash of Texts and Contexts. In: Mapping Media Accountability – in Europe and Beyond, edited by Eberwein T. et al., 181-193. Köln: von Halem Verlag. Hawatmeh, G. and J. Pies. 2011. Media Accountability under the Patronage of the Regime – The Case of Jordan. In: Mapping Media Accountability – in Europe and Beyond, edited by Eberwein T. et al., 101-113. Köln: von Halem Verlag. Pies, J. 2013. Media accountability in transition: Results from Jordan and Tunisia. In: Journalists and Media Accountability. An International Study of News People in the Digital Age, edited by Fengler, S. et al. (Hg.) New York et al. Peter Lang. Pies, J. and A. Nedjaa. 2013. Media Landscapes in Transition: Jordan and Tunisia. In: How fragile is media credibility? Research Magazine MediaAcT, http://www.yumpu.com/document/view/15922335/mediaact Pies, J. and P. Madanat. 2011. Beyond State Regulation: How Online Practices Contribute to Holding the Media Accountable in Jordan. In: MediaAcT Working Paper Series, 5/2011, http://www.mediaact.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/WP4/WP4_Jordan.pdf