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Media Influence Matrix: Jordan. Technology, Public Sphere and Journalism

Mohammad Abu Hawash, Marius Dragomir

Budapest: Center for Media, Data and Society (CMDS) (2021), 28 pp.

"As for internet use, the percentage of the population with access to internet rose to 89% in 2019 from 48% in 2015. Access to a mobile phone and internet in Jordan has become a matter of choice rather than affordability or accessibility. The Syrian refugee crisis explains the overshooting in mobile ... phone penetration in Jordan during the 2010s. During the past decade, the Jordanian telecommunications industry has transformed from duopoly to oligopoly. Jordan’s three major telecommunications companies together worked to protect their positions in the Jordanian telecoms market. The market saw constant growth and a rapid introduction of new media technologies. Due to these technological advancements, the country has become known in the region as an increasingly influential tech hub [...] In the public sphere, Jordan has experienced an unstable legal and regulatory landscape for the media. The government constantly revises its audiovisual media and publications laws. This places those media networks with a proximity to the state at an advantage, since they have deeper insight into the expectations of the state. Independent media, on the other hand, suffers from the successive governments’ meddling in the foundational laws of the media industry. The work of journalists has been often obstructed by the blocking of hundreds of websites for failing to comply with one or another rendition of the publications law. Many journalists found their employers losing investors and/or funding after the state issued a registration requirement for websites publishing content out of Jordan. Due to strong public pressure, this requirement in the publications law was later revised. Jordan’s journalism sphere had a more difficult decade than the technology field. Restrictions on internet access and high taxes on independent media (compared with tax-exemption status for some media agencies that are close to the government) hurt several media organizations. Stagnation and decline in consumption of print media added to the woes. Jordanian newspapers are enjoying higher readership than ever but also the lowest revenues per reader in history. This is due to declining subscription rates. Jordanian journalists were stunned in the first half of the 2010s to see Jordan’s daily newspaper Al-Arab Al-Yawm end print circulation and shut down operations completely a few years later. Subscriptions to daily newspapers declined by 50% compared to their 2000s levels." (Pages 4-5) more

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Cyber Capabilities as a New Resource of Power Conflicts in the Digital Sphere

Jason Chumtong, Christina Stolte

International Reports (Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung), issue 1 (2021), pp. 95-105

"Interestingly, traditional sources of power, such as military and economic strength, are not a prerequisite for success in cyberspace. It is true that the premier league of cyber powers also includes many traditional major powers in its ranks. But states need very few resources to build their cyber ... capabilities and exploit them to project influence, as the examples of international outsiders like Iran and Venezuela demonstrate. In some ways, cyber capabilities even seem ideally suited to allowing small and medium-sized countries to increase their influence because they represent an effective tool of asymmetric warfare. Even though they require relatively few resources and low-threshold technology, they have the potential to inflict considerable damage when deployed against other countries Attacks on poorly protected public authorities, businesses, or even infrastructure can cause serious damage to other countries. The risks for the attacker are reasonably low because attribution of the attacks is usually difficult and time-consuming. On top of this, the evidence is seldom clear, and consistent denial of any involvement is part and parcel of cyber warfare. This is also one of the key differences from previous power struggles at the international level. While the global battle for power and influence has always been accompanied by visible demonstrations of power and the accumulation of status symbols, the struggle in cyberspace takes place under the radar. This makes it especially difficult to identify shifts of power occurring today. Particularly in the field of information warfare, an area of growing importance in both national and international conflicts, states that were never previously on the radar as global players are now increasing their international influence. Yet, these countries recognised the potential of digital technologies at an early stage and are exploiting them with great success. Many of them have a wealth of experience in this respect due to having deployed the tools of information warfare against their own citizens and political opponents for many years. They can now direct this expertise towards other countries to wield global influence." (Conclusion, page 103) more

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Data Science for Fake News: Surveys and Perspective

Deepak P., Tanmoy Chakraborty, Cheng Long, Santhosh Kumar G.

Cham: Springer (2021), xiv, 302 pp.

"This book provides an overview of fake news detection, both through a variety of tutorial-style survey articles that capture advancements in the field from various facets and in a somewhat unique direction through expert perspectives from various disciplines. The approach is based on the idea that ... more

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The Truth Gap: How Misinformation and Disinformation Online Affect the Lives, Learning and Leadership of Girls and Young Women

Sharon Goulds et al.

Surrey: Plan International (2021), 46 pp.

"We surveyed over 26,000 girls and young women in 26 countries. 91% of girls and young women surveyed are concerned about misinformation and/or disinformation online. 40% of those surveyed are extremely or very concerned. Misinformation and disinformation are having a negative impact on 87% of the g ... more

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GFMD Impact: Disinformation
Deep Insights

Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD); USAID (2021)

"On 17th June 2021 GFMD's International Media Policy and Advisory Centre hosted a meeting of 54 media development donors, practitioners and academics to discuss effective responses to disinformation. Disinformation was chosen after it was selected as a priority in a survey of those engaged with GFMD ... more

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How Information Disorder Affirms Authoritarianism and Destabilizes Democracy: Evidence, Trends, and Actionable Mitigation Strategies from Asia and the Pacific

Michael Buehler, Ed Schatz, Sameen Ali, Christopher Green, Janjira Sombatpoonsiri

Washington, DC: USAID; Integra Government Services International LLC; Asia Emerging Opportunities (AEO) Activity (2021), 130 pp.

"Section 2 of this report provides an overview of information disorder in Asia and the Pacific and describes how it destabilizes democracy and strengthens authoritarianism. After situating information disorder in Asia and the Pacific in its historical context, Section 2 examines which actors 1) spre ... more

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WorldCat (133)

From Grassroots Activism to Disinformation: Social Media in Southeast Asia

Aim Sinpeng, Ross Tapsell (eds.)

Singapore: ISEAS (2021), 277 pp.

"This book reflects on the role of social media in the past two decades in Southeast Asia. It traces the emergence of social media discourse in Southeast Asia, and its potential as a "liberation technology" in both democratizing and authoritarian states. It explains the growing decline in internet f ... more

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Google Scholar (148)

WorldCat (138)

Disinformation and Fake News

Shashi Jayakumar, Benjamin Ang, Nur Diyanah Anwar (eds.)

Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan (2021), xii, 158 pp.

"While much has been said about individual disinformation campaigns in specific countries, this book offers a panoramic view of how these campaigns are conducted, who they target, and how they are spread. By bringing together research on specific countries and international data mined from questionn ... more

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Final Report

Commission on Information Disorder

Aspen Institute (2021), 78 pp.

"This report is the culmination of an in-depth investigation aimed at better defining the causes and challenges of information disorder, and offering a viable framework for action [...] The Aspen Institute’s Commission on Information Disorder invited voices from across our society to help build up ... more

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Media Influence Matrix: Israel. Technology, Public Sphere and Journalism

Roni Dorot

Budapest: CEU Center for Media, Data and Society (2021), 30 pp.

"Although internet penetration rate in Israel stands at 88%, internet infrastructure, and notably the roll-out of fiber-optics, was not properly regulated until December 2020. Therefore, among other things, Israel’s internet speed was in decline in comparison to OECD countries, although it is expe ... cted to rise in mid-2021. Moreover, frequencies for 5G network deployment have been allocated only as late as August 2020, in significant delay compared to technologically progressed countries. Following global trends, Israelis draw on different technological means to use the internet, and especially to consume media. While fixed telephony demand is in decline, smartphones took over the market with 88% of smartphone ownership. Israel records a specific digital divide among marginalized groups like the Arab population and ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jews. Together with the 65+ age group, these three main sectors are susceptible to be affected by digital illiteracy. The international technology conglomerates that control the Israeli market are Facebook (with its daughter company WhatsApp) in the field of messaging applications and social media, and Google Chrome browser, while the operating system (OS) market is dominated by Microsoft (on desktop) and Google (Android on mobile). The four main Israeli groups operating in the communications market are: Bezeq, HOT, Cellcom and Partner. They are all active in five telecom segments and market them in bundle packages for relatively low prices: cellular, fixed (telephony and internet) infrastructure, internet providing, international calls and multichannel TV. This highly saturated and competitive market has damaged the revenues and future incentives of these companies to invest in cutting-edge infrastructure. Israelis get most of their political information from online news sites. Some 76% of the public in Israel consume news content on social media at least once a day (40% of Jews and 66% of Arabs). The leading social media platforms are YouTube, Facebook and Twitter; they make a central source for the dissemination of politics, and have significant power in shaping public opinion. Nevertheless, “fake news” is also circulating fast and efficiently on these platforms, making disinformation a troubling phenomenon for Israeli society. Few journalistic initiatives took upon themselves the responsibility for public fact-checking. Traditional media struggles with fragile financial sustainability and business models. Given the populist effect that fake news has on consumers and, consequentially, on revenues, it is risky to rely on traditional media solely, in this matter." (Page 4) more

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Pakistan's Internet Landscape 2020

Jahanzaib Haque, Shah Bano Ali Khan

Islamabad: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES); Bytes for All (2021), 89 pp.

"The internet brought new opportunities for Pakistan to develop into a progressive society and a more democratic country, and it opened doors for more forms of criminal activity (like fraud, child pornography, etc.), more intimidation and the spreading extremism, and more information gathering on ci ... more

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The Digital Enquirer Kit

Tactical Tech (2021)

"The Digital Enquirer Kit is an e-learning course that guides learners through lessons on how to prevent the spread of misinformation, available on the free platform atingi.org. The course covers topics including media literacy, verification, and how to navigate the internet safely. The first four m ... more

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The Chilling: Global Trends in Online Violence Against Women Journalists. Research Discussion Paper
Deep Insights

Julie Posetti, Nabeelah Shabbir, Diana Maynard, Kalina Bontcheva, Nermine Aboulez

UNESCO (2021), 94 pp.

"Online attacks on women journalists appear to be increasing significantly, as this study demonstrates, particularly in the context of the ‘shadow pandemic’ of violence against women during COVID-19. The pandemic has changed journalists’ working conditions, making them yet more dependent on di ... more

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Information Dystopia and Philippine Democracy: Protecting the Public Sphere from Disinformation
Deep Insights

Yvonne T. Chua, Nicole Curato, Jonathan Corpus Ong

Internews (2021), 98 pp.

"The Philippines is one of the first countries where the potential for online disinformation threats to undermine democratic processes, especially during elections, was noticed [...] This report takes a deep look at an online survey that Internews conducted, explores the cultural and emotional dimen ... more

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Information Disorder and Mainstream Media in Sri Lanka: A Case Study

Anisha Dias Banadaranaike (coord.)

Verité Research (VR) (2021), 34 pp.

"This study attempts to contribute to literature that analyzes the role of Sri Lanka’s mainstream media as a producer and distributor of information disorder. For this purpose, a case study approach is used to evaluate reporting on Dr. Segu Siyabdeen Mohamed Shafi. The study focuses on the Sri Lan ... more

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Religion, Medien und die Corona-Pandemie: Paradoxien einer Krise

Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati, Anna-Katharina Höpflinger (eds.)

Baden-Baden: Nomos (2021), 134 pp.

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YouTube Regrets: A Crowdsourced Investigation Into YouTube's Recommendation Algorithm

Jesse McCrosky, Brandi Geurkink

Mozilla (2021), 39 pp.

"YouTube is the second-most visited website in the world, and its algorithm drives 70% of watch time on the platform—an estimated 700 million hours every single day. For years, that recommendation algorithm has helped spread health misinformation, political disinformation, hateful diatribes, and o ... more

Google Scholar (103)

WorldCat (80)

Die Machtprobe: Wie Social Media unsere Demokratie verändern

Thomas Ammann

Hamburg: Edition Körber, Sonderdruck für die Zentralen für politische Bildung (2020), 349 pp.

"Ammann hat den Aufstieg der sozialen Medien von Anfang an begleitet und zieht Bilanz: Sie bieten auf der einen Seite große Chancen für die Demokratie. Die effektive Nachbarschaftshilfe während der Pandemie oder der immense Erfolg von #fridaysforfuture und #blacklivesmatter basieren auf der Reich ... more

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Google Scholar (124)

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Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories

Michael Butter, Peter Knight (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2020), xx, 680 pp.

"Taking a global and interdisciplinary approach, the Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories provides a comprehensive overview of conspiracy theories as an important social, cultural and political phenomenon in contemporary life. This handbook provides the most complete analysis of the phenomenon ... more

Google Scholar (143)

WorldCat (142)

Fighting Misinformation: Digital Media Literacy. Course Guidebook

Tara Susman-Peña, Mehri Druckman, Nina Oduro

Chantilly, VA: Teaching Company; Great Courses; IREX (2020), 73 pp.

GFMD Impact: Disinformation Deep Insights

The Chilling: Global Trends in Online Violence Against Women Journalists. Research Discussion Paper Deep Insights

Information Dystopia and Philippine Democracy: Protecting the Public Sphere from Disinformation Deep Insights

GFMD Impact: Disinformation
Deep Insights

The Chilling: Global Trends in Online Violence Against Women Journalists. Research Discussion Paper
Deep Insights

Information Dystopia and Philippine Democracy: Protecting the Public Sphere from Disinformation
Deep Insights