Jordan bans 12 news sites for ‘spreading media poison’ following corruption report

People walk past street vendors outside a mosque in Amman, Jordan, in 2018. Jordan banned 12 websites for publishing “distorted” images of the country.

The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Jordanian authorities to lift Wednesday’s ban (May 16, 2025) on a dozen online news outlets for “spreading media poison and attacking Jordan,” following the publication of allegations that the government unfairly profited from aid to Gaza.

“The Jordanian Media Commission’s decision to block 12 media websites is deeply alarming,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah.

“These recent measures reflect a troubling trend for press freedom in Jordan. We urge the authorities to uphold the essential role of independent journalism in informing the public and supporting transparency.”

Media reports named eight of the banned independent and privately owned “foreign” sites: London-based Middle East Eye, Tunis-based Meem Magazine, the independent regional Raseef22, regional Arabi21, Istanbul-based Arabi Post, Rassd News Network, the satellite channel Al-Shoub TV, and Voice of Jordan, which said that its site had been blocked “to conceal the truth from Jordanians.”

Following the May 14 ban, disruptions to the sites varied according to the internet service provider, CPJ found at the time of publication.

Middle East Eye, reported on May 8 that Jordan’s armed forces had “profited” by up to $400,000 per Gaza aid airdrop by receiving direct payment of fees for the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, the sole conduit for aid passing through Jordan.

On May 9, Middle East Eye said Jordanian authorities had “strongly rejected” its report and charity had accused it of attempting to “tarnish Jordan’s image.” By May 12, most readers in Jordan could not access the news site, it said.

The 2023 cybercrimes law, has facilitated the detention of writers for social media posts, most recently political analyst Ahmed Abu Ghanimeh, who was held between May 8 and 11. The media have also been banned from reporting on the Muslim Brotherhood party after was outlawed in April.

Jordanian Media Commission chairperson Bashir Al Momani told CPJ via messaging app that the sites had been banned for “deliberately broadcasting false, misleading, and incorrect news” and that “Jordanian institutions were denied the right to respond.”

He said the image of Jordan’s institutions had been “distorted for malicious political motives, most notably the Hashemite Charity Organization,” and none of the outlets had accredited correspondents in Jordan. Al Momani did not confirm which sites had been banned or which reports led to their censure.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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