The Higher Population Council has released the outcomes of the analytical study on Population and Development Issues 2019 on print and audio-visual media outlets during the meeting held today Tuesday with support from the United Nations Population Fund and with the participation of representatives from relevant national parties.

The study aimed at identifying the level of interest shown by Jordanian print and audio-visual media outlets in population, development, demographic opportunity and sexual and reproductive health issues for the year 2019 and from a gender perspective.

The Assistant of the Secretary General of the Higher Population Council Rania Al Abadi reaffirmed during the meeting that the preparation of this study came from the Council’s faith of the importance of the role of media outlets as key and effective partners and actors in supporting population and development issues. This is also building on the Council’s commitment to increasing the level of awareness as well as lobbying towards population and development issues through the implementation of programs and deliberate and qualitative information and communication activities. Al Abadi also outlined that this study is considered a compass for identifying the level of interest shown by media outlets in population and developmental issues, as well as identifying out the kinks of strengths and weaknesses in this area. This is all to deal with and correct weaknesses and to promote strengths to reach an active and effective information role in support of population and development issues.

The program officer of the population and development program at the United Nations Population Fund Layaly Abu Seer indicated the importance of raising awareness and promoting population issues in all print and audio-visual media outlets. This is to strengthen the culture of integrating population changes and dynamics in all developmental issues, and to focus on humans receiving their reproductive and human rights generally to ensure the well-being of society.

The manager of Al Rai Studies Center and the head of the technical team who prepared the study Dr. Khalid Al Shaqran reviewed during the meeting the highlights of the results and content of the study, indicating that the results of the study were reached through using the survey methodology as well as the content analysis methodology on a sample of 10 print and audio-visual media outlets and which included (Al Rai Newspaper, Ad-Dustour Newspaper, Al Ghad Newspaper, the Jordanian Television, Al Mamlaka Channel, Roya Channel, International Fact Channel, Rotana Radio Station, the Jordanian Radio Station, Hala FM Radio Station).

The results of the study showed the extent of the interest of the sample in population and development issues, as the number of issues brought forward in the study was (780). Newspapers achieved first place in putting forward population and development issues at (51.5) percent, followed by Jordanian satellite television at (27.7) percent then radio stations at (28.8) percent. The results of the study also showed that in terms of main issues such as (demographic opportunity issues, population policy, population issues, reproductive health, sexual health, population dimension, gender), “reproductive health” issues came in first place on radio stations at (20.4) percent, “sexual health” issues came in first place on Jordanian satellite television channels at (20.4) percent, while first place on newspapers went to “population policy” issues at (21.9) percent.

“Demographic opportunity” issues came in last place in newspapers, satellite television at (10.9) and (10.6) percent respectively and in fifth place on radio stations at (13) percent. “Gender” issues came in third place on radio stations at (16.7) percent and in fifth place in newspapers and on satellite television at (11.2) and (14.4) percent respectively. “Population dimension” issues came in last place in all samples which are newspapers, radio stations and satellite television at low percentages of (6.7), (5.6) and (3.2) respectively.

The results also showed that the targeted groups in the study sample’s that media coverage leaned towards “females” when taking on population and development issues, as it reached (43.5) percent in newspapers, (43.8) percent on radio stations and (56.6) percent on satellite television. The results also showed that the Capital and cities has received the attention of Jordanian media outlets on population and development issues when it comes to geographic scope. The geographic scope of “the Capital” came in first place on satellite television at (64.4) percent, in second place on radio stations at (22.5) percent and the geographic scope “cities” came in first place in newspapers at (31.8) percent.

In relation to the active forces addressed by the study when raising population and development issues, the study showed that the “Ministry of Health” came in first place on satellite television and radio stations at (25.2) and (29.9) percent respectively, while first place in newspapers went to the “Ministry of Education” at (25.6) percent of the total sample. The “Higher Population Council” came in second to last place in the active forces group at (1.2) percent in newspapers, (1.9) percent on radio stations and (2.1) percent on Jordanian satellite television.

In relation to the patterns of media coverage used for population and development issues in the study sample, the pattern “news” came in first place in newspapers at (64.9) percent of the total sample, while the pattern “interview” came in first place on radio stations and satellite television at (40.7) and (41) percent respectively.

The Director of Media and Communications Unit at the Higher Population Council Etaf Al-Hadid reviewed the highlights of the study’s recommendations, most notably the importance of the activation of an outreach team that supports population and development issues in all journalistic and media organizations when it comes to publishing topics related to population and development issues. The study also recommended increasing the effectiveness of radio stations and satellite television in covering these issues, as well as taking electronic press and social media websites into special consideration, the diversification of media coverage methods with the importance of focusing on (investigative reporting, investigative journalism, news stories or reports, comic strips) and increasing the focus on issues related to vocational and technical training and raising awareness of it through different communication media due to its importance in achieving demographic opportunity.

The recommendations also included the importance of activating and developing an operational plan (Plan ionAct) to translate the goals and orientations included in the Population’s Media National Strategy (2018-2022). This is along with translating the current study’s recommendations to specific programs and the importance of the cooperation of all concerned parties in providing funding to carry out the activities and programs listed in the operational plan, as well as having Jordanian media outlets devote more importance to rural and semi-arid regions in its media messages related to population and development.