Jordan Independent Newspaper

Interview with Mohammed Alayyan, CEO Al Ghad Newspaper

In 2005, the world wide press freedom index, retained by Reports Without Borders indicated Jordan ranked 97th out of 167 countries, making it the third best in the Middle East, behind Israel and Kuwait.  What is your personal assessment of press freedom in Jordan and where do you see the line between regulation and freedom?  

When examining press freedom in Jordan, one needs to adopt a holistic view that takes into the account the evolution of press freedom globally. Upon doing that, we can celebrate that Jordan has reached this level of freedom compared to other nations the Middle East.  When examining press freedom we have to look at it from a historical point of view because it is hard to recognize all of the accomplishments Jordan has made without taking history into account.  I believe Jordan is moving in the right direction in this regard and we strive to be the best in the Arab world.  Technology has really aided in this and it is important to utilize all of these technologies to support freedom of the press.

The Future of newspapers has been widely debated as the industry has declined and sales have slumped.  What is the meaning of this in the world where printed news is becoming obsolete and online news is a rising trend?  What do you see in Jordan?

We have to study this point further.  I think it is over exaggerated that the internet is taking over printed media.  If you look at the markets for newspapers in China and India, you will see an increase in the readership of newspapers.  I don’t think the internet will ever fully take the place of newspapers but I believe newspapers have to adapt and utilize the internet for their benefit.  In Jordan, there hasn’t been a decrease in readership and Al Ghad has benefitted a lot from the internet, which provides a good stream of revenue and a good means of communication. 

We see the benefits of convergence, as the internet complements us instead of takes away from us, and I believe the internet will aid newspapers in finding new ways to gain revenue.  We have gained 20% of new subscribers in the past year and this is an excellent number when you consider worldwide trends.

Al Ghad can be described as Jordan’s most ambitious newspaper.  How do you assess you performance to date?  What is in store for the future?

August 1st will be our sixth year.  Personally I am quite satisfied with our progress so far in entering a market full of experienced newspapers with a new concept.  I wanted to reflect Jordan’s dynamism and to target the youth here in the country.  Al Ghad is about change and moving forward, even our logo reflects this notion.  We are liberal and try to push the envelope more and this is helpful in Jordan considering the way our freedom of the press is going.  

Aren’t you afraid of too much liberalization of the market?  Does this pose a threat to Jordan’s traditions?

I am only concerned with not being creative, as it is important to always elevate new ideas.  Every year we have had new products and developments and we invest a lot in this.  Over the past few months, for example, we have invested so much on the interactive side with the website that we are really excited about it.  As for what the future holds in the market- we don’t know.  All we know is that we want to elevate, develop, and be pioneers in doing so in Jordan.  Al Ghad is the most read newspaper in Oman and this is excellent considering we have only been in the market for six years.  

Currently you have an online version and you are launching a new website.  What are your expectations?

We have revamped our website and it is going to be a very dynamic, multi-platform site with mobile and video capabilities.  We are taking all of the latest technologies into account.  We have a press-reader application from Apple for use on the iPad, for example.  

Is there a degree of competition between the print version and the online version?

There is no cannibalization yet and I don’t think that there should be.  At some point in time, it could happen, but I think with the right management structure and proper management you can benefit a lot.  New revenue can help develop your offline business too.  Synergies can help too- if a journalist is well trained you can use the same journalist for online and offline and this is helpful for costs.

Jordan is a young market with room for innovation but how much innovation can be offered to the media market?

Innovation cannot stop in the media whether this is in content, action, production, or the internet.  There are so many things left to do in Jordan and we are a country where the internet is growing very dramatically. This requires us to be even more innovative without news production, online and offline.  Innovation never stops and neither do we.  

Over the past six years what has been the response of the competition?  Do you see any newcomers who may come into the market and take your place?

I welcome competition in the market.  Without competition we don’t have a challenge and competition drives innovation.  We took many young journalists, raised the minimum salary, and thereby raised the caliber of all journalists in the beginning and this was beneficial to the sector.  We look forward to competitors who will push us to the limit because this is the only way to improve.

As a newspaper you shift and make opinions.  What is your major responsibility to society?

As a newspaper my concern is to be professional and professional journalism is our priority.  We are not a political newspaper.

How do you make sure you stay independent?

The thing that guaranties our neutrality is our professionalism in covering the news.  

Looking towards the future, are you considering entering new markets?  What is your long-term strategy and how do you see yourself in five years?

I still see that there is so much untapped potential in Jordan and therefore my first priority is to tap this potential.  I think television, internet, and mobile media need to be further examined.  At some stage we will definitely expand outside of Jordan but for now we need to focus here.

What is your final message about Jordan?

If you bring innovation and enthusiasm there is huge potential for success in Jordan.  Jordan is going to explode with energy and ideas because the youth has great potential here.  Now is the time to enter and start benefitting from this energy.