The flag of Jordan (Credit: Wikipedia)

A Jordanian educational organization, the Jordan Media Institute (JMI), studied 20 of the country’s news outlets and their coverage of the most recent parliamentary elections.

What it found wasn’t great. News outlets, the institute said, did not clearly label the distinction between paid advertisements from candidates and news content. News outlets also allowed advertisers to influence content. iMediaEthics has contacted the institute to learn more about its study.

“The owners of several media establishments have continued to direct their establishments toward serving the interests of their advertising campaigns or the campaigns of their relatives,” the report from the JMI states. “This has generated numerous forms of professional and ethical violations and has practically turned the licenses given to those establishments from operating in favor of the public to operating for the interests of specific candidates and lists.”

“The JMI confirmed in its report that confusing paid advertisements with media and news content was the most widespread professional and ethical violation, specifically on some TV stations and electronic sites,” it went on.

The twenty news outlets that the institute focused on were four daily newspapers (Al Rai, Al Dustour, Al Ghad, and Al Sabeel), four state-run radio stations (Jordan Radio, Hayat FM, Al Balad, and Sawt Al Janub), four state-run TV channels (Jordan TV, Al Haqiqa Al Dawliya, Al Yarmouk, and Roya), and eight news sites (Ammon, Khaberni, Saraya, Al Wakeel, Hala News, Jfra News, Al Bosala, and Garaa News).

Besides the influence of candidates or advertisers, the JMI found news outlets overusing anonymous sources without reason.

The parliamentary elections in Jordan were held Sept. 20.