Jordan’s twin local elections, held in mid-August, were no ordinary events. Aside from the municipal elections, the first to be held since 2013, voters were asked to elect representatives to the newly formed 12 Governorate Councils; an essential component of…
Rather than resorting to the courts, Jordan desperately needs an ombudsman dedicated to settling complaints against the media. By Osama Al Sharif A couple of incidents last month have led to calls for the creation of a media complaints commission…
Questions concerning editorial independence, funding, and audience demand need to be asked about plans for a new public service broadcaster. By Osama Al-Sharif The government is pushing ahead with plans to launch another public service broadcaster that will consist of…
Twenty years have passed since a team of creative young Jordanians launched Arabia.com, the first ever Arabic web portal. Even though it fell victim to the dot-com crash, the pioneering Internet project left behind a legacy that resonates to this…
Jordan’s two leading dailies are in serious trouble, and it may be too late to save them from the same fate that befell so many other newspapers in the digital age. By Osama Al Sharif The crisis facing Jordan’s two…
The battle against religious extremism should be waged in the classroom, not just the battlefield. By Osama Al Sharif Our war on violent religious extremism became even more essential after the horrific execution of air force pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh by…
If social media is any gauge of attitudes towards the brutal Charlie Hebdo attack, then most Jordanians appear to believe free speech should have its limits. By Osama Al Sharif Last month’s deadly attack by Islamist terrorists on the French…
No matter how intelligent or sophisticated the latest crop of US drama series might be, they too often rehash tired Muslim stereotypes. By Osama Al Sharif Ever since US TV producers lost the Soviet Union as an archenemy, they’ve shifted…
MBC’s position as the region’s number one network seems insurmountable thanks in large part to our seemingly insatiable demand for TV talent shows. By Osama Al Sharif The MBC network is scoring big with audiences and advertisers thanks to an…
The farcical events surrounding an alleged treasure find highlighted some sad truths about the dysfunctional relationship between the government, media, and general public. By Osama Al Sharif Public opinion in Jordan, like in many other countries, has long been susceptible…