Amman, June 1 (Petra) — Rumours related to economic conditions,
social affairs, and citizens’ living standards dominated
misinformation circulating in Jordan during May, despite a decline in
the overall number of rumours compared with the previous month,
according to the Jordan Media Credibility Monitor (Akeed).

In its monthly report released Monday, Akeed said it tracked 121
rumours during May, marking the third consecutive month in which
misinformation activity remained elevated on the local scene. The
figure represents a 22.9 percent decrease from April, when 157
rumours were recorded.

The report showed that economic and social topics were the most
frequent subjects of misinformation, with each category accounting
for 31 rumours. Together, they represented more than half of all
rumours monitored during the month, reflecting growing public
interest in issues linked to livelihoods, prices and social
conditions.

Political rumours ranked third with 25 cases, accounting for
one-fifth of the total volume monitored. Health-related
misinformation followed with 14 rumours, while public affairs
generated 12 rumours, and security-related topics accounted for
eight.

Social media continued to be the primary vehicle for the spread of
misinformation, the report found. Of the 121 rumours recorded, 88
originated from or were circulated through social media platforms,
representing nearly 73 percent of the total.

By comparison, media outlets accounted for 33 rumours, or just over
27 percent of all monitored cases.

The report also highlighted the role of external sources in shaping
part of the misinformation landscape. A total of 27 rumours
originated from outside Jordan, representing more than one-fifth of
the overall total recorded during the month.

Akeed’s findings further showed that official institutions responded
to less than half of the rumours monitored during May. According to
the report, 54 rumours were formally denied or clarified by relevant
authorities, accounting for 44.63 percent of the total.

Meanwhile, 67 rumours remained without official clarification or
rebuttal, representing 55.37 percent of all cases documented during
the month.

The monitor said the number of rumours officially refuted remained
broadly unchanged from April, when 55 rumours were denied, indicating
a relatively stable pace of institutional response despite
fluctuations in the volume of misinformation.

//Petra// RZ