Syndicate urges gov’t intervention to resolve ‘print media crisis’

AMMAN — The Jordan Press Association (JPA) on Thursday called on the government to intervene to resolve the “alarming crisis” of the print media.

The JPA stressed in a statement the need to deal with the country’s major newspapers aside from the consideration of profits and losses, warning that the accumulated crisis could reach a point of no return.

The JPA council also called on board members of newspapers to refrain from resolving financial woes at the expense of journalists’ rights and their job security.

The Lower House is scheduled to hold a special session next Sunday to discuss the “worsening financial situation” of print media as requested in a memorandum signed by a group of MPs.

In the memo, a copy of which was made available to The Jordan Times, signatories stressed the important national role of print media outlets, providing at the same time a set of recommendations to help alleviate newspapers’ financial difficulties, including exemptions from taxes.

During a meeting on March 12 with the House Committee on National Guidance and Media to discuss the financial hardships facing dailies in the Kingdom, particularly Jordan’s oldest newspaper, Ad-Dustour, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani said exempting daily newspapers from taxes and customs fees would be against the law, but said the government is ready to address the difficulties facing print media within legal limits.

Industry leaders have been demanding that the government exempt newspapers from taxes and customs fees in order to enable dailies to maintain a steady income and prevent the closure of key media outlets.

Ad-Dustour daily has been witnessing financial difficulties that left its management unable to pay salaries for months.