Written by: Alaa Naji
In an era where information accelerates and platforms compete to capture every second of audience attention, the media scene is no longer just governed by traditional professional rules, but enters a complex equation known as the "attention economy", where issues – even marginal ones – become commodities that can be amplified and traded, and perhaps invested in.
In this context, a fundamental question emerges: How does Jordanian local media handle this influx, especially when it concerns national issues?
What we witness today on the bottom of social media networks is not necessarily a reflection of the real size of the issues, but often a "marginal noise" that is amplified according to the logic of spread rather than importance.
This noise operates according to what can be called the "domino effect" in political sociology; where a small, or even fragmented issue begins, then rolls over by mass interaction and unprofessional handling into a general situation that might have an impact exceeding its real size.
The problem lies not only in the presence of this noise, but in the way some platforms deal with it. When some become "blowers in the furnace of excitement," exaggerating the event and reproducing it using unprofessional methods, chasing viewership and interaction rates.
Here, "anger is commodified," where popular discontent becomes a profitable media material, sometimes presented without sufficient verification or balance in presentation.
With the repetition of these practices, what is known as "moral panic" emerges, where society feels an exaggerated threat towards a particular issue, due to uncontrolled media magnification.
This panic may in turn lead to "mob justice," where judgments are formed through hasty public opinion, not through state institutions or legal channels, posing a risk to the justice system and community stability.
On the other hand, Jordanian local media has a pivotal role in "defending the collective entity," not by justifying or beautifying, but through presenting a balanced discourse that enhances trust and prevents sliding into informational chaos.
This role requires possessing "cognitive awareness" capable of reading the context, understanding the difference between what is essential and what is marginal, and between what deserves coverage and what should be sidelined.
Therefore, the importance of "strategic ignoring" as a professional tool emerges, meaning not ignoring issues, but not being dragged behind every fabricated wave, or reproducing it media-wise in a way that amplifies its impact. Not everything that tops the trend deserves to be turned into a national issue.
Media today faces a real test: either to be part of the amplification and reproduction of noise, or to be a safety valve that redirects the compass towards the real issues that affect the citizen and the state.
In the Jordanian case, where regional, economic, and political challenges are present, this role becomes more sensitive and more connected to the concept of national responsibility.
In the end, the battle is no longer just about transferring the news, but about managing awareness; and the media that recognizes this truth is capable of protecting its society from drifting behind the noise of the mob, which represents only a marginal echo in a crowded space.
