Khaberni - The government communications minister and official spokesperson, Dr. Mohammad Al-Momani, inaugurated on Saturday the conference "Community Media in the Digital Age," organized by the Community Media Network (Radio Al-Balad – Amman Net website).
Al-Momani emphasized during the conference, which lasts two days, that the digital age has imposed a radical shift from traditional content to content that is quick to interact, making the transition to a digital environment a pressing necessity to keep up with rapid development.
He indicated that the conference serves as a space for dialogue on the growing role of community media and its integration with digital connectivity, as it is the closest to the citizen and most linked to their daily issues.
He said that community media has become a platform that enhances trust and builds communication bridges between the state and society, contributing to deepening a culture of dialogue and openness, especially in developmental and rights issues.
He added that dealing with community media is now from an empowering rather than restrictive perspective, through providing an environment that balances freedom and responsibility, and between digital openness and safeguarding the public interest.
He explained that community media allows youth to be opinion-makers, supported by media training programs and national initiatives executed by the Ministry of Government Communication to enhance media literacy and information, and build a national awareness based on values of tolerance, diversity, and positive citizenship, in addition to confronting misleading information and hate speech.
He mentioned that Jordan has become a leading Arab model in integrating government communication with community media, contributing to unifying the national message, combating rumors, and enabling citizens to access reliable information from its sources.
He stressed the importance of the role of media spokespersons in providing feedback to the media about events and issues in government institutions, emphasizing the importance of embedding moral and humane values in published content and protecting the society from harmful materials and hate speech while enabling entrepreneurial youth to positively and constructively exploit technological and digital developments.
He noted that digital transformation has become a fundamental part of the comprehensive development process in Jordan, pointing to the progress Jordan has recently made by moving up six ranks in the Global Digital Competitiveness Index for 2025, reflecting its confident path towards a knowledge-based economy and modern digital society led by young national talents. He added that the paths of economic and administrative modernization in the Kingdom are rapidly advancing and deeply linked to digital transformation.
Al-Momani pointed out that the future vision for Jordanian community media is to become a lever for social innovation and a platform for embodying the concept of "Media for Development," where local platforms transform into digital laboratories for knowledge production and solutions.
The conference discusses over two days, several key topics: "Community Media in the Digital Age: Where To? Challenges and Solutions", "Behind the Scenes of Producing Cross-Border Investigative Reports", "Protecting Media Independence: Legislative Reforms to Ensure the Freedom of Community Media", and "Digital Media: Between Benefits and Protecting the Community".
