Jordan Media Institute

Jordan Media Institute (JMI) is a nonprofit educational institution based in Amman, Jordan, devoted to journalism education, professional media training, and public engagement with news and information. It was founded by Princess Rym Ali on 14 August 2006 and was officially established in February 2010. The institute was created to strengthen the quality and professionalism of journalism in Jordan and the wider Arab region by combining academic instruction with practical newsroom-oriented training. JMI’s principal academic offering is a practical master’s degree in Journalism and New Media, delivered in cooperation with the University of Jordan under an academic agreement between the two institutions. The program is designed to respond to the needs of the media industry rather than functioning solely as a theoretical university course. It includes two pathways: a one-year comprehensive track and a thesis track. Arabic is the primary language of instruction, while selected courses and guest lectures may be conducted in English. The program addresses journalism in a changing digital environment, where reporting, verification, multimedia production, and online publishing increasingly overlap. Alongside the master’s program, JMI provides specialized workshops and professional-development activities for journalists, students, and other media practitioners. Its training work has been associated with international and regional organizations including UNESCO, UNICEF, the European Union, GIZ, DW Akademie, USAID, the International Center for Journalists, the International Labour Organization, ALECSO, the Forum of Federations, the Norwegian Institute of Journalism, the Canadian International Development Agency, and Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These partnerships have supported instruction and capacity building in areas such as reporting fundamentals, digital journalism, media standards, and professional practice. The institute also works on media credibility and media and information literacy. Through Akeed, a project connected with the King Abdullah II Fund for Development’s Democratic Empowerment Programme, JMI has supported the use of criteria for checking and verifying claims and news published by local media outlets. This work reflects the institute’s broader interest in improving the reliability of information available to the public. JMI’s media-literacy activities seek to help people, particularly young people and new generations, understand and evaluate media and information sources, interact constructively with communication technologies, and participate positively through digital media. The institute presents media literacy as a way to increase public capabilities while reducing the potential harms associated with misinformation, uncritical consumption, and irresponsible online communication. JMI therefore operates across several related roles: graduate-level journalism educator, professional training provider, media-literacy organization, and contributor to discussions about credibility and standards in Jordanian media. Publicly available reference material does not establish a commercial ownership structure, stock-market listing, or parent corporation. The available information also does not identify a current executive roster beyond the institute’s founder.

Jordan Media Institute was founded by Princess Rym Ali on 14 August 2006 and formally established in February 2010. Its creation reflected an effort to build stronger journalism education and professional media capabilities in Jordan. Rather than limiting its work to conventional academic study, JMI was designed to connect formal education with the practical requirements of reporting, editing, digital production, and changing media technologies. The institute’s central academic activity is a practical master’s program in Journalism and New Media offered in cooperation with the University of Jordan. The arrangement gives the program an academic framework while allowing JMI to emphasize professional preparation. Students can follow either a one-year comprehensive track or a thesis track. The language of instruction is principally Arabic, with some courses and guest lectures available in English. The program’s emphasis on new media reflects the transformation of journalism from primarily print, radio, and television production toward integrated digital publishing and multimedia reporting. JMI has also developed short-form training for working journalists, students, and other professionals. Its specialized programs and workshops have been conducted in partnership with regional, governmental, intergovernmental, and international organizations. Listed partners include ALECSO, the Canadian International Development Agency, GIZ, DW Akademie, the European Union, the Forum of Federations, the International Center for Journalists, the International Labour Organization, Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Institute of Journalism, UNICEF, UNESCO, and USAID. The range of partners indicates that JMI’s capacity-building role extends beyond degree education into continuing professional development and international media cooperation. A second strand of the institute’s work concerns the quality and credibility of information. Akeed is described as part of the King Abdullah II Fund for Development’s Democratic Empowerment Programme, also referred to as Demoqrati. The initiative adopted criteria for verifying news published by local media outlets, linking JMI’s educational mission with a practical public-interest concern: helping audiences and media organizations distinguish more reliable reporting from inaccurate or insufficiently supported claims. The institute’s media and information literacy work broadens this objective from professional newsrooms to society as a whole. JMI seeks to improve the ability of the public, particularly young people, to assess media and information sources and to engage positively with digital communication tools. Its stated approach recognizes both the opportunities offered by digital media and the disadvantages that can arise from misuse, misinformation, or weak source evaluation. Across its history, JMI has consequently combined four functions: postgraduate journalism education, skills-based training, media-literacy promotion, and support for more credible news practices. The available reference material does not provide a detailed chronology of leadership changes, financial performance, acquisitions, or commercial expansion. It also does not identify a parent company or listed corporate structure. JMI is best understood as an independent nonprofit educational and public-interest media institution headquartered in Amman.

• 2010

  Formal establishment

  [1]Jordan Media Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  JMI was officially established in February 2010, creating the institutional base for its academic and professional media programs.

• 2006

  Institute founded

  [1]Jordan Media Instituteen.wikipedia.org

  Princess Rym Ali founded the Jordan Media Institute on 14 August 2006 to support journalism education and media development in Jordan.

A nonprofit, practice-oriented journalism education and media-capacity institution serving Jordan and the wider Arab media environment.

• Graduate education

  Master of Arts in Journalism and New Media

  JMI’s principal degree offering is a practical master’s program delivered in cooperation with the University of Jordan. It is intended to prepare students for contemporary journalism and digital-media work through professional and academic study. The program has a one-year comprehensive track and a thesis track. Arabic is the main teaching language, although some classes and guest lectures may be offered in English.

• Professional development

  Journalism training programs and workshops

  JMI provides specialized training activities for journalists, students, and media professionals. These programs and workshops focus on journalism fundamentals and industry-relevant capabilities, with the institute’s broader work extending to digital media, professional standards, and practical reporting. Training has been associated with a broad network of international and regional development, media, labor, and educational organizations.

• Media credibility and verification

  Akeed

  Akeed is a media-credibility initiative connected with the King Abdullah II Fund for Development’s Democratic Empowerment Programme. It uses criteria for verifying news published by local media outlets and represents JMI’s contribution to improving the reliability and accountability of Jordanian news practices.

• Public education

  Media and information literacy

  JMI’s media-literacy work aims to strengthen the public’s ability to deal with media, information sources, communication technologies, and digital media. It places particular emphasis on young people and encourages constructive participation while addressing the potential disadvantages of uncritical or harmful media use.

1. 1Jordan Media Instituteen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Jordan Media Institute official websitejmi.edu.jo