​

The joint scientific study conducted by the Jordan Media Institute, the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, and the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan in 2020 showed that the general media trust index in Jordan totaled (46.3%), which is low percentage that did not reach the threshold. Thus, it is considered fairly close to the globally approved indicators in the field of trust in news and information. This valuable study dealt with the trust index in the Jordanian media in the public and private sectors, which covered TV channels, daily newspapers, radio stations, news websites, and social networks, among others.

The study's general indicator included an average of five sub-indicators:

First: the rate of reliance on media to obtain news in times of emergency and crisis, as well as in normal times. This indicator was calculated by the average of those who depend on the media (e.g., TV channels, newspapers, radio stations, and news websites) to obtain news from a group of other sources. The reliability rate was (45.8%), and this indicates, in my view, the need to examine the reasons for this low rate and work to raise it in the near future.

Second: the rate of trust in the news provided by the Jordanian media outlets according to the field or topic of media coverage (local political affairs, regional political affairs, public services, economy, and financial affairs). The rate of trust in the news of the specialized Jordanian media was about (36.3%), which is also a low percentage that needs to be considered because it directly affects citizens' lives and the level of well-being they seek.

Third: Ethical and professional commitment. This indicator was the highest among the sub-indicators at a rate of (63.3%). This indicator measured 12 sub-indicators to identify the extent of public trust in moral and professional performance. I believe this is due to inherited culture, level of education, and specialization in media and communication sciences.

Fourth: Public trust in the role of the media and professionals in interpreting and analyzing Jordanian public affairs. This indicator was the lowest with a rate of (28.4%). The study considered that this is due to a decline in the number of followers of the media performing this task.

Fifth: Trusting the credibility of the Jordanian media, which reached (56.9%). It is an acceptable percentage, and it establishes a further rise in the trust index among Jordanians if working on developing and updating the media content and immunizing its employees is done well.

In conclusion, this is an effort for which all institutions that participated in its achievement are thanked, and I call on all stakeholders in the public and private sectors to reflect on its approach and results and work on applying the strategies of "appropriate persuasive appeals" and the "Grunig and Hunt" communication models that ensure raising the weak indicators rates to better levels.