On the road to media literacy in Jordan

Usually, a bus pulls up to a university to bring students to their classes, but the MIL Bus from Jordan Media Institute (JMI) actually does the opposite. It is transforming campus parking lots across Jordan into hubs for Medial and Information Literacy (MIL) and bringing key skills to students across Jordan.

Jordan’s population is young,with half of Jordanians under the age of 24. With digital technologies and social media playing such a central role in so many lives, a trend toward polarization and radicalization has been heightened by the spread of disinformation. This first became apparent during the pandemic and, more recently, the Israel-Hamas war.

In an effort to counteract these trends, the MIL Bus is part of a campaign to help students become familiar with the tenets of MIL, such as how to use media safely and responsibly, check information and fight hate speech.

"After visiting the bus and seeing some of our trainings, students always request that they learn more about everything, from how they can secure their accounts, how to fight rumors being spread or how to check facts online," said Rami Eleimat, project manager with JMI.

The MIL bus has already visited campuses across Jordan, with a dozen more stops planned

Over six weeks at the beginning of the year, the bus from DW Akademie partner JMI traveled across the country, reaching six governorates. The project has already informed more than 1,200 citizens about media literacy, with the next road trip kicking off during UNESCO’s 2024 MIL Week. This year, MIL week is taking place in Jordan, where JMI is also hosting a side-event during the conference.

Multiplying impact

The MIL Bus is only part of the work that is being done toward media literacy in Jordan. Family and Childhood Protection Society (FCPS), another DW Akademie partner, is working to train and expand MIL trainers throughout the country. The organization recently completed a training of “multipliers” who include professional trainers, teachers and NGO workers. These trainings are designed to establish experts that can then go on to train experts themselves.

"Multipliers play a vital role in expanding access to MIL by transferring skills to a wider audience," said MIL expert and trainer Taghreed Taki. "They strengthen interaction by building networks of engagement among individuals with shared interests."

MIL expert Taghreed Taki (right) recently trained a group of multipliers in Irbid, Jordan

This approach trains specific people who can make a big impact, such as Dina Alwahib. The MIl expert has held trainings at schools across the country and has seen firsthand how media spaces have recently become polluted.

"Misinformation and hate speech have significant negative impacts on the region," Alwahib said. "But MIL helps enhance critical thinking skills, enabling people to analyze and evaluate information and media messages more deeply, understand their purpose and determine their credibility."

MIL in the classroom

Trainers like Alwahib are in high demand these days, as Jordan has become part of a short but growing list of countries who have adopted MIL as part of their national school curriculum. Beyond the MIL Bus, the JMI has been working with the Jordanian government to develop new state MIL curriculum, which is being integrated into other subjects, such as Arabic, English, social studies and Islamic studies.

University students on the MIL bus have a chance to learn MIL outside the classroom

Rami Eleimat and JMI are thrilled at the chance to help integrate MIL into every secondary classroom in Jordan. The task is significant, in part because teachers need to be trained on MIL skills.

"The new MIL curriculum has not been implemented everywhere," Eleimat said. "And we still have to reach out to 100,000 teachers."

While this may take some time, the work is underway and Eleimat believes it will be well worth the effort. From multiple approaches, both JMI and FCPS are working on creating a lasting change toward a more informed and aware society in Jordan.

In Jordan, DW Akademie works with local partners Jordan Media Institute and Family and Childhood Protection Society. The projects are supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).