Secretary General of the Government Communication Ministry Dr. Zaid Nawaiseh stressed the importance of the media's role in promoting dialogue between cultures, particularly in societies marked by cultural, intellectual and religious diversity.
Al Nawaiseh made the remarks while representing the Minister of Government Communication, Dr. Mohammad Al Momani, at the first Media Forum of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), held in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku.
He said this role faces growing challenges in the digital environment, amid the spread of hate speech and misinformation and the rapid development of artificial intelligence and deepfake technologies.
Speaking at a session titled "The Role of Media in Promoting Social Cohesion and Intercultural Dialogue," he stressed the importance of supporting professional media and enabling journalists to obtain reliable information and data in a timely manner to produce accurate and responsible content.
He said technology and digital platforms have raised public expectations of fast access to information, placing responsibility on media institutions to balance speed of publication with accuracy.
Al Nawaiseh stressed the importance of verifying information sources and context before publication, especially on sensitive issues. He said countering misinformation and hate speech does not rest with the media alone, and requires strengthening society's ability to deal critically and consciously with the information and content it receives.
He outlined Jordan's experience in media and information literacy, and national efforts to establish it as a core skill that helps individuals verify information and handle content responsibly.
Al Nawaiseh addressed the changes artificial intelligence has brought to media work, highlighting the responsible and transparent use of the technology and the need to inform the public when it is used to produce or analyze media content.
He also called for keeping pace with changing patterns of information consumption, strengthening the ability of media spokespersons and official spokespeople to respond in a timely manner with accurate information, and shaping messages that reach different segments of society across the platforms in use.
He said building trust in the new media environment requires institutions, media outlets, journalists and content creators to play complementary roles.