Media literacy workshop graduates 50 trainees from Irbid, Maan

AMMAN — Fifty trainees from Yarmouk FM in Irbid and Sawt Al Janoub Radio in Maan have recently finished a media information literacy (MIL) course, according to a statement sent to The Jordan Times.

The training, implemented by the UNESCO Amman office under the “Youth Empowerment” project, works to foster ethical use, consumption and production of media among youth in Jordan, the statement added. 

Each trainee took part in a four-day workshop at their respective radio stations, which included how to cover sensitive topics responsibly during radio broadcasts. The topics ranged from gender issues to human rights to hate speech, and the trainings were conducted in partnership with Jordan Media Institute.

Eliana Mehdawi, a volunteer at Yarmouk FM, said in the statement: “I thought it would be limited to concepts of MIL but we actually learnt a lot about the methods of using MIL, [like] how to verify sources, prepare for radio programmes, and devise alternative plans in critical situation.”

Bisher Ruwwad, a fourth-year student from the faculty of engineering at Al Hussein Bin Talal University in Maan added that “I have experienced a shift in my perspective and the way I see media. Now I believe that not all news should be shared on the Internet and that I am responsible for checking the credibility of news”. 

The “Youth Empowerment” project is funded in part by the EU and is being carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of State for Media Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the media community and civil society in Jordan, according to the statement.