JMI marks 10th anniversary of master’s in journalism

AMMAN — Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah, HRH Princess Rym on Monday attended a celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the Jordan Media Institute’s (JMI) master’s programme in journalism and new media. 

The JMI is a not-for profit educational institution, founded by Princess Rym to develop the performance of journalists and media personnel in Jordan and the region, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

“The institute believes that journalism is not limited to defending freedom, rather building a culture of values and true democracy,” Princess Rym said. 

The Princess highlighted the importance of equipping journalists with skills needed to keep up with developments in communications, technology and the digital sphere, noting that this would later boost the performance of media institutions. 

Princess Rym pointed to the necessity of keeping up with developments in media and press training and education to maintain their role as the fourth estate. 

The princess shed light on various efforts to develop official media and the strides made in the field, reiterating the importance of these steps in creating an interactive environment that promotes dialogue and makes a change by relying on facts and eschewing false information. 

CNN's renowned business correspondent Richard Quest, the keynote speaker, highlighted his experience in presenting economic programmes on TV, which attracted senior finance leaders and government representatives from across the world. 
He also referred to the results of a survey showing that "happiest countries in the world are those which have access to information."

For his part, Dean of the JMI Bassem Tweissi said that “establishing the institute marked a turning point in journalism education in Jordan and the region and was a pioneering step that bridged a gap in the field of media education”.