Amman, June 12 (Petra)-- Hiba Al-Ississ -HRH Princess Rym Ali, inaugurated the third edition of the Media and Information Literacy Academy 2025, on Thursday, at the Jordan Media Institute (JMI).

The event, held in cooperation with the Arab-European Association of Media and Communication Researchers (Areacore), was held under the theme "Media and Information: Media and Information Literacy Empowers Minds and Revives Truth."

Princess Rym emphasized that media and information literacy is no longer a cultural luxury, but rather a necessity in light of escalating crises and increasing media misinformation.

She noted that empowering new generations with the tools of critical thinking and information verification constitutes a shield against hate speech and digital extremism, and is key to building more aware societies.

She reviewed Jordan's experience as a pioneering model in the region, through integrating media education into the national curriculum, training thousands of teachers, and establishing the "Akeed" platform to promote a culture of verification and accountability.

She stressed the importance of keeping pace with technological transformations, particularly artificial intelligence, asserting that "the only skill that artificial intelligence does not possess is critical thinking." She called for bridging the digital gap between the North and South of the Mediterranean and ensuring equitable access to knowledge and media.

In this context, Her Highness explained that media and information literacy is an opportunity and a force for distinguishing between reliable sources and false narratives, empowering societies to confront extremism and ideological manipulation, and empowering young people to use digital tools to express themselves and build the future.

She added that media literacy contributes to building cultures based on mutual respect, dialogue, and evidence-based decision-making, embracing critical thinking, civic responsibility, and ethical engagement. She emphasized that media and information literacy is a powerful driver of educational and cultural reform and plays a complementary role with curriculum reform.

For his part, Minister of Government communication and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said that the government will continue to support quality initiatives that contribute to building the capacities of our youth, raising awareness in our communities, and protecting them from misinformation, fake news, and hate speech.

He emphasized the importance of media and information literacy, which is growing at an unprecedented rate.
He also emphasized the need to enhance the ability to distinguish, criticize, and analyze, given the massive flow of information across digital platforms and the growing challenges related to the spread of misinformation, hate speech, and attempts to obscure facts and distort narratives.

Momani emphasized, "In Jordan, we firmly believe in the importance of responsible media and recognize the pivotal role of youth in building the future. From this standpoint, we are keen to provide our youth with the skills necessary to deal with the challenges of the digital age, and this academy is at the heart of this national vision."

He explained that media and information literacy has become an essential tool for empowering and fortifying societies, confronting "information chaos," building bridges of trust in the public sphere, and defending the truth, which is the cornerstone of any society striving for progress, prosperity, and justice.

Momani explained that the academy's goals raising awareness, spreading the culture of media literacy, equipping participants with analytical, critical, and ethical skills, and confronting information chaos are noble and necessary. He noted that this intensive program, which brings together a select group of experts, trainers, students, and professors from various countries, will provide a valuable platform for exchanging experiences and knowledge and will contribute to building the participants' capacities to become pioneers of positive change in their communities.

He pointed out that empowering media professionals, academics, and youth with media and information skills is an investment in the future of information, making it a source of good and social construct. He noted that media literacy seeks to uncover the truth, promote accountability, and ensure fair representation of marginalized voices, given the challenges we face, including attempts to distort awareness and distort narratives.

Momani called for maximum benefit from the academy's activities and programs, and for active participation in workshops, seminars, and discussions. The knowledge gained and the knowledge networks built will enable participants to play an active role in reviving the truth and promoting responsible and ethical journalism.

The Minister thanked Princess Rym Ali for her patronage of the academy, which reflects Her Highness's deep interest in media issues and its development in the region.

He also thanked the Jordan Media Institute for this valuable initiative and their tireless efforts, and the Arab-European Association of Media and Communication Researchers (Areacore) for their support and fruitful partnership.


For her part, Mirna Abu Zeid, Dean of the Jordan Media Institute, said that the era of artificial intelligence has posed unprecedented challenges to the information environment, most notably deep fakes, which now threaten truth itself. She called for awareness and education as essential tools for societal protection.

She addressed the participants, saying, "Here, you will learn how to ask questions, analyze, and verify information, and how to use artificial intelligence tools to verify information and expose forgery and manipulation."

Abu Zeid noted, "The media space has become a frontline in the conflict, as governments are militarizing the media space." She explained that in information wars, we go beyond traditional propaganda operations, because there is a comprehensive cyber war waged in the digital space, where data is used as weapons and artificial intelligence technologies are used as tools for espionage and murder, as we witnessed in the Israeli war on Lebanon and Gaza, both in military action and in obscuring the Palestinian narrative by modifying algorithms to obscure the truth of massacres or silence pro-Palestinian voices."

She explained that in this new war, the confrontation is no longer limited to governments. Rather, it involves giant technology companies that possess power greater than entire countries, controlling public perceptions and beliefs. The battles of the current digital age are essentially battles of perception.

Katharina Notzold, coordinator of the Arab-European Association of Media and Commnuication Researchers, noted that this academy has become one of the most prominent annual events, as it provides opportunities for learning and cultural exchange between students and academics from Arab and European countries, and promotes the values ??of cooperation and critical thinking in the media field.

Notzold said that media education is not limited to acquiring content analysis skills, but is an important tool in confronting hate speech, extremism, and societal divisions. She pointed out that the truth has become threatened in conflict zones, where "journalists are deliberately targeted," as is the case in Gaza and Ukraine.
Nottsold concluded her remarks with a message to the participants: "It may sometimes seem that standing up to misinformation is a losing battle, but we must not give up. Each of us can make a difference, even if it is small in our local community."


UNESCO Representative in Jordan, Noha Bawazir, revealed that 80 percent of young people use artificial intelligence tools daily, and a quarter of them rely on TikTok as their primary source of news. However, less than 10 percent of institutions have clear policies regulating this use.

She explained that this reality reinforces the urgent need for media and information literacy as an essential tool for empowering youth in the digital age. She noted that UNESCO continues to support the Jordanian government and the Jordan Media Institute in developing the second national strategy for media and information literacy.

It's worth noting that the academy is being held for the third consecutive year, with the participation of more than 70 media students and professors from 10 Arab and Western countries, with the goal of empowering them to confront contemporary digital challenges.

The academy's activities, held over eight days, include practical programs targeting both students and professors, in addition to dialogue sessions and scientific lectures presented by experts from within and outside Jordan.


//Petra// MF

12/06/2025 22:17:50