Journalists' Objectivity via Social Media: Jordan

Abstract

Journalists play an essential role in society through their daily news practice. The news produced must be correct. Fair and balanced reporting makes an informed public. These elements are part of objectivity in the news. However, social media have challenged many aspects of journalism. With the emergence of social media platforms, journalists have become more prone to deviating from journalistic objectivity. Instantaneity has challenged many journalists to practice their journalistic work objectively via social media. This study aims to identify the challenges Jordanian journalists face in implementing objectivity on social media platforms. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 journalists working in various Jordanian news organizations. Thematic analysis was used to reach the results. This study expands current knowledge on journalistic practice in Jordan, particularly on social media and objectivity in news reporting. Findings from this study suggest two main challenges faced by Jordanian journalists in their social media use. Firstly, journalists are challenged by the lack of clear guidelines and policies to separate official and personal views. Secondly, complex features embedded within social media settings along with the behavior of its users further add to the challenges faced by journalists in Jordan as they employ objectivity in news reporting. KEYWORDS Jordanian journalists, journalistic objectivity, journalists’ challenges, news organizations, news platforms, social-media practices

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“…This emphasizes the commitment of journalists participating in the study to be responsible toward society and condemn news that does not adhere to neutrality (Nwanne, 2014). This is in line with the study by Al-Zoubi et al (2024) which confirmed that Jordanian journalists are committed to social responsibility in their social media pages, despite the challenges they face. Albeit neutrality itself remains a contestable journalistic issue.…”