Khaberni - What is happening today in the appointments within Jordanian television is no longer just a passing error or administrative initiative, but has become a scene that provokes anger and astonishment at the same time. New appointments are being made public as if born out of nowhere, with common features clearly visible... excessive beautification appearances and attire not befitting a national screen that is supposed to represent all Jordanians.
But the question that is posed:
Has competence come to be measured by the number of beauty treatments, not years in the field?
And has the official media become a stage for external presentation rather than a platform for thought and professionalism?
It is saddening to see our national screen gradually losing its dignity in favor of "appearances," while sidelining talents who possess history, experience, voice, and true presence.
What's even worse is that these appointments came without prior announcement or clear interviews, as if the names descended from hidden lists that we know nothing about, as if transparency has become an option, not a commitment.
What prompted me to write my story with the national media in this article is not just a recount of my personal experience, but a response to the amount of dissatisfaction expressed by the Jordanian public across social media platforms. What we see today is not new, but a repeated situation over the years, confirming that this reality has not improved, and the voices demanding justice and transparency have never been heard.
I started my journey in media at an Iraqi channel in 2010, I was then a second-year media student at Yarmouk University. I moved between various Arab stations: Libyan, Yemeni, Iraqi, Saudi, and Jordanian, where I amassed over fifteen years of experience.
I knocked on all official doors, submitted my applications repeatedly to Jordanian television, conducted interviews, communicated with officials, and received many promises, the last of which was from the media file official and my master's professor who told me: "God willing, I can help you."
But when I confronted him after the recent appointments, he was content with saying:
"I do not interfere, there are specialized committees."
Committees we know nothing about, nor their criteria, except that they choose those who "fit the picture," not those who carry the message.
Years ago, I was called for an interview at Al Mamlaka channel, I underwent more than three consecutive exams until I reached the final stage, where I was asked to fill out the official employment form and determine the salary. I was just one step away from the appointment, until I suddenly received a vague apology email that ended everything without explanation.
Since that day, a painful question has haunted me:
Was my hijab the reason? Especially since there are no veiled newscasters working inside the studio of Al Mamlaka channel, making the question about my competence or hijab a painful and realistic matter.
What's stranger is that when I previously applied to an Iraqi channel that did not employ veiled women at all, the officials saw my performance in presenting the news, and at that very moment, I was appointed because performance imposed itself. They did not look at my hijab, but at my ability to present, to the presence and the language and mastery.
In my own country, how many doors were closed in my face because I chose to be as I am... professional, veiled, not selling my appearance but presenting my ideas.
Many colleagues in the media field previously advised me that the Jordanian media does not suit my personality, because I am veiled and committed to my ethics and community customs, and that it would always clash with a reality that prioritizes appearance over competence, making me more aware of the difficulty in reconciling my profession with my personal nature in this environment.
What is happening today in Jordanian media is a disguised exclusion of talents, and a concerning decline in standards. Instead of the screen being a mirror to the nation, it has become a mirror to beauty centers!
Is this the image we want the world to see about our media?
And has belonging to the screen become more about needing an "appearance" rather than thought, culture, and voice?
The time has come to reconsider this approach, to open the door to presentation with transparency for all, and to prioritize competence over appearance, and experience over looks.
Media is not a show, but a message, and those who truly serve the nation are those with both mind and heart, not just a face.
And I do not write this article to draw attention or seek appointment, on the contrary, my passion was extinguished since I realized that justice was absent from the scene. I studied journalism because since childhood I dreamed of presenting the eight o'clock news broadcast, an appointment that had its great significance in every Jordanian household at the time…
But it seems that the dream has been postponed, not for lack of abilities, but because the criterion has changed. This is why I later studied for a master's degree, in search of another career door when I realized that the national screen was not the right place for me.
