The First Drafters:  The Past, Present and Future of Jordanian Jouranlism

Mirza, Sami

The First Drafters: The Past, Present and Future of Jordanian Jouranlism

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10456/57689

Author(s)

Mirza, Sami

Date Issued

April 12, 2024

Abstract

In this project, I explore how the print journalist, or sahafi, in Jordan is part of a longer lineage of writers that write the “first draft of history.” The sahafi are preceded by classical literature, and will be succeeded by journalists publishing online and using social media to share more information faster and cheaper. In chapter one, I explore the connections between the sahafi and traditional Arab literature, specifically poetry. I will also provide a brief overview of the history of print publications in Jordan, to help contextualize the conversation. In chapter two, I explain the intense political and economic pressures being placed on the sahafi in Jordan. Politically, the Jordanian government uses “soft control” to allow newspapers to publish somewhat freely, but to then discourage academics and politicians from inserting their ideas into the sphere of public debate. Economically, Jordanian print papers are struggling to maintain their revenue and thus continue to pay their writers and staff. Finally, in chapter three, I look at how the next step for the squeezed Jordanian sahafi is to move their work online to the internet and social media, where they are able to produce as good or, even, better work as a print journalist at a fraction of the operational cost, though significant political pressures remain. This paper thus provides a blueprint for a holistic view of journalists as fulfilling a social role within society and not merely political actors.

Major

International Studies

Honors

International Studies, 2024

First Reader(s)

Miller, Brian J.