US embassy cable - 03AMMAN1880

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 001880 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2013 
TAGS: KPAO, KWWW, PREL, OPRC, OIIP 
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: JORDANIAN STATE-OWNED MEDIA'S PORTRAYAL OF 
THE WAR 
 
REF: SECSTATE 81604 
 
Classified By: A/DCM DOUG SILLIMAN FOR REASONS 1.5 (B), (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY.  WE ASSESS JORDAN'S STATE-CONTROLLED MEDIA 
COVERAGE OF THE WAR IN IRAQ TO BE REACTIVE AND CAUTIOUS, 
RATHER THAN INCITEFUL.  REFLECTING BROAD OPPOSITION AMONG 
JORDANIANS TO THE WAR AND ADMIRATION FOR IRAQI RESISTANCE, 
JORDAN'S STATE-OWNED MEDIA HAVE ADOPTED AN EDITORIAL LINE 
AGAINST OPERATION IRAQI LIBERATION, BUT HAVE SOUGHT TO AVOID 
INFLAMMATORY COVERAGE OR COMMENTARY THAT MIGHT STIR UP 
PASSIONS LOCALLY.  THESE OUTLETS (JORDAN TELEVISION AND THE 
STATE-CONTROLLED ARABIC DAILY "AL-RAI") HAVE ALSO EMPHASIZED 
DOMESTIC ISSUES RELATED TO THE WAR, PROVIDING THE TRADITIONAL 
MOUTHPIECE FOR GOVERNMENT REACTION AND THE VIEWS OF THE KING 
AND HIS SENIOR LEADERSHIP.  IN THIS REGARD, STATE-CONTROLLED 
MEDIA IS CARRYING OUT THE KING'S "JORDAN FIRST" PROGRAM: 
ACKNOWLEDGING AND SYMPATHIZING WITH STRONG VIEWS AGAINST THE 
WAR, BUT WORKING TO PRESERVE THE INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRY BY 
AVOIDING INCITEMENT THAT MAY LEAD TO INSTABILITY.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) TELEVISION:  JORDAN TELEVISION RESPONDED TO THE 
BEGINNING OF THE IRAQ CONFLICT WITH AN EXPANDED NEWS FORMAT 
THAT INCLUDED IMPLEMENTING A PREVIOUSLY IN-TRAIN PLAN TO 
BROADCAST FROM NEW STUDIOS AND AN UPGRADED TECHNICAL 
PRESENTATION.  HOWEVER, WITH NO CORRESPONDENTS IN THE WAR 
ZONE, OR EVEN IN THE GULF, JTV HAS RELIED ON FOOTAGE FROM 
OTHER SATELLITE NETWORKS, INCLUDING AL JAZEERA, AL ARABIYA, 
ABU DHABI, BBC AND CNN OVER WHICH IT RUNS ITS OWN NEWS 
COMMENTARY FROM THE STUDIO IN AMMAN.  VIEWERSHIP REMAINS LOW 
AND THE PRODUCT UNSATISFACTORY TO MANY JORDANIANS WE CONSULT. 
VIEWERS HERE CONTINUE TO SEEK THEIR WAR NEWS FROM AL 
JAZEERA, AL MANAR, AL ARABIYA AND ABU DHABI TV.  JTV'S 
EDITORIAL BIAS TENDS TOWARD SYMPATHY WITH THE "IRAQI 
RESISTENCE", THOUGH NOT IN A BRAZEN FORM.  THE OPERATION IS 
REFERRED TO BY NEWS PRESENTERS AS "THE AMERICAN/BRITISH WAR 
ON IRAQ", WITH THE ADJECTIVE "BROTHERLY" SOMETIMES PRECEDING 
IRAQ ("IRAQ AL SHAKIK").  COVERAGE TENDS TO HIGHLIGHT 
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AND REPORTS OF IRAQI RESISTENCE OR 
COALITION DIFFICULTIES WHILE DOWNPLAYING REPORTS OF FEDAYEEN 
INTIMIDATION OF IRAQI CIVILIANS OR OTHER ISSUES NEGATIVE TO 
THE IRAQI REGIME.  THAT SAID, JTV HAS AVOIDED AIRING THE 
EXTENDED MONTAGES OF CIVILIAN INJURIES OR DEATHS FEATURED 
FREQUENTLY ON AL JAZEERA, A DECISION THAT APPEARS CALCULATED 
TO AVOID STIRRING PASSIONS.  IN KEEPING WITH TRADITION, 
STATEMENTS OR ACTIVITIES OF THE KING, PRIME MINISTER OR OTHER 
SENIOR JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TRUMP WAR COVERAGE AT 
THE TOP OF EVENING NEWS BROADCASTS. 
 
3. (C) OUTSIDE ITS NEWS SEGMENTS, JTV'S WAR COVERAGE RELIES 
HEAVILY ON IN-STUDIO TALK SEGMENTS THAT FEATURE KNOWN 
JORDANIAN PERSONALITIES, POLITICAL AND MILITARY ANALYSTS WHO 
ENGAGE IN EXTENSIVE -- AND MANY JORDANIANS SAY DRY -- 
ANALYSIS OF THE WAR.  THIS IS WHERE JTV APPEARS MOST TO BE 
MINIMIZING INFLAMMATORY COVERAGE OF THE WAR.  GUESTS ARE 
CHOSEN FROM AMONG KNOWN JORDANIANS WITH PREDICTABLE 
POSITIONS, WHICH HAS THE EFFECT OF ENFORCING A RELATIVELY 
ANODYNE DISCUSSION.  THESE STUDIO GUESTS CAN BE COUNTED ON 
NOT TO INFLAME THE PUBLIC AND TO RESPECT THE CARDINAL RULE OF 
AVOIDING OUTRIGHT CRITICISM OF THE KING OR OF HIS GOVERNMENT 
IN THIS SENSITIVE TIME. 
 
4. (C) PRINT MEDIA:  LIKE ITS BROADCAST COUNTERPART, 
GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED AL RAI ARABIC DAILY HAS GENERALLY 
ADOPTED A MORE CAUTIOUS TONE IN ITS WAR COVERAGE WHEN 
COMPARED TO JORDAN'S TWO OTHER ARABIC DAILIES (AL DUSTOOR AND 
AL ARAB AL YAWM) AND, LIKE JTV, HAS WORKED TO FEATURE THE 
VIEWS OF THE JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT PROMINENTLY IN ITS DAILY 
COVERAGE OF THE WAR.  AL RAI FEATURES A CLEAR ANTI-WAR BIAS. 
IT HAS REFERRED TO IRAQI DEAD AS "MARTYRS" FROM THE INCEPTION 
OF THE CONFLICT AND HAS FEATURED ABOVE-THE-FOLD COLOR 
PHOTOGRAPHS OF DAMAGED CIVILIAN AREAS, AMERICAN POW'S, GLOBAL 
ANTI-WAR PROTESTS OR SMOKE RISING FROM BAGHDAD. 
SIDE-BY-SIDE, HOWEVER ARE STATEMENTS BY THE KING, PM OR OTHER 
SENIOR GOJ OFFICIALS EXPLAINING THE GOVERNMENT'S PRINCIPAL 
PUBLIC POSITIONS:  JORDAN WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE WAR, 
NOR WILL ITS TERRITORY BE USED BY THE U.S. FOR ATTACKS ON 
IRAQ; JORDAN IS WORKING TO FIND A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE 
WAR; THE KING'S CONCERN FOR CIVILIAN VICTIMS OF THE WAR, ETC. 
 IT HAS NOT FEAUTRED FRONT-PAGE PHOTOGRAPHS OF KILLED 
CIVILIANS OR GRIEVING FAMILY MEMBERS, HOWEVER, MIRRORING ITS 
GENERALLY SUBDUED COVERAGE OF THE SECOND INTIFADA.  AL RAI'S 
DAILY EDITORIAL HAS, IN KEEPING WITH TRADITION, BEEN MILD IN 
COMPARISON WITH SIGNED OPINION ARTICLES OF JORDANIAN 
POLITICAL ANALYSTS, AND HAS AS OFTEN AS NOT BEEN ABOUT THE 
GOVERNMENT'S OR THE KING'S PRESCRIPTIONS OR ADVICE FOR THE 
SOCIETY DURING THESE TURBULENT TIMES.  EDITORIAL CARTOONS 
HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY TOUGH IN AL RAI (AS IN ALL OF JORDAN'S 
ARABIC DAILIES), WITH THE IMPOTENCE OR FAILURE OF ARAB 
REGIMES TO STOP THE WAR AND THE OVER-AGGRESSIVENESS OF THE 
UNITED STATES AS COMMON THEMES.  AL RAI IS THE HOST FOR 
JORDAN'S LEADING COLUMNIST, FAHD AL-FANEK, WHO MIGHT BE 
DESCRIBED AS HARSHLY ANTI-AMERICAN AND PRO-IRAQI IN THE BEST 
OF TIMES.  OVERALL, THOUGH, AL RAI APPEARS TO BE WORKING TO 
CONTAIN AND REFLECT RATHER THAN INFLAME LOCAL PASSIONS. 
GNEHM