Dialogue Journalism Fellowship 2025 conference has kicked off Saturday, organized by Hayat Centre for Civil Society Development (Rased), in cooperation with the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID).
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In his opening remarks, Minister of Government Communication and Government Spokesperson, Dr. Mohammad Momani, said hate speech, misinformation, extremism, radicalism, and populist rhetoric are "present" threats, which require a "conscious and courageous" media.
In the age of open space, Momani noted confronting terrorism is "no longer solely a security matter, but also a media issue."
Information can bring justice to a country, while false news can ignite strife, he noted, indicating that "responsible" media restores balance to the public sphere and promotes the value of dialogue.
Momani remarked: "Hate speech and extremism have no place in Jordan, which was founded on pluralism, tolerance, coexistence, and acceptance of others."
Integration of the concept of dialogue in media work would strengthen the culture of relying on information, he noted, vowing a united stance in the face of any party who threatens Jordan's intellectual and societal security.
"Dialogue is not an intellectual luxury, but rather a moral, national, and professional necessity, and a tool for societal peace," he said, indicating that the culture of dialogue in Jordan is part of the "national and societal security equation."
Additionally, Momani called for investment in media and information literacy to prepare a resilient generation to expose misinformation, confront incitement and hatred, and defend the truth.
The minister stated today's meeting comes amid a "complex" international and regional reality, as the line between truth and falsehood has become blurred, and words are now "weaponized" and can be used either for construction or destruction, or rapprochement or division.
Addressing the media audience, Momani urged the influential media professionals in attendance to assume responsibility of building a culture of dialogue and resisting being dragged into hate speech.
This event, held as part of the attendees' technical knowledge, is hoped to open up interaction avenues and build professional networks based on a shared belief that words should be a bridge, he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Rased Director, Dr. Amer Bani Amer, noted the event took place amid hard regional circumstances amid difficulty to predict the next developments.
"Our societies are in dire need of a disciplined, interpersonal, and receptive media that rejects hate speech and violence, he noted.
The conference, he noted, aimed to present Jordan as a "pioneering" model of its diverse national unity to its Arab brethren and to all who love peace and coexistence.
KAICIID's Director of Arab Region Programs, Wassim Haddad, said this event is the beginning of a "new" phase of learning, knowledge dissemination, and experience exchange among 23 journalists from 13 Arab countries with diverse religious and cultural backgrounds.
Haddad said the goal is to promote dialogue and coexistence, build safe and stable Arab societies and enhance peace, adding that media is a "strategic" partner in boosting dialogue and peacebuilding.
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