Palestine, media, Jordan, community radio, online journalism
    By Daoud Kuttab For the first time in years, Palestinian reconciliation talks have not received the usual high-calibre media coverage, not even in the Palestinian media. The low level of coverage might be a good thing. The deeply split parties Fateh and Hamas know that their credibility has been eroded by…
By Daoud Kuttab You would expect the holder of the title “director of strategic communications and English-language spokesman†to talk about how to woo The New York Times or how to convince the BBC for positive write-ups about Palestine. But while Jamal Dajani — appointed Jan. 26 as new media guru for Palestine’s prime minister…
By Daoud Kuttab The preliminary results of the national census in Jordan show that Syrian refugees number around 1.3 million. Along with other nationalities, non-Jordanians now compose what amounts to 31 per cent of the total population. Of the 9.5 million people living in Jordan, 6.6 million are Jordanian citizens, according to the Census Bureau….
For more than 52 years, Palestinians completing 12th grade have faced a stressful, life-changing experience. Their admission to university has depended on how they do on a single, national exam. The “tawjihi,†the comprehensive matriculation exam designed to test knowledge and ability, has been a source of incredible pressure for students, their families and communities…
By Daoud Kuttab In today’s politically expedient age, it has become rare to see a leader defend one of his own. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, went on air this week, attempting to deflect the avalanche of angry protests directed at the Palestinian intelligence chief Majid Faraj. Faraj and a chief Palestinian negotiator were featured…
By Daoud Kuttab The head of the Palestinian intelligence service, Maj. Gen. Majid Faraj, is often seen traveling alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In fact, Faraj has been considered by local and international analysts as one of the possible successors of the Palestinian leader. Â Faraj rarely talks to the media, but in one of his…
By Daoud Kuttab AÂ murder took place in Jordan. The suspected killer is known, but unlike in normal cases, this time it was addressed by tribal law. Tribal law is not new in Jordan. It has existed for centuries and the modern nation state has found ways to accommodate it. Civil courts have often been presented…
By Daoud Kuttab Palestinian journalist Salim Sweidan, owner of Nablus TV, was released Jan. 12 after having spent four days in jail. Sweidan, a member of the board of the Maan News Network, the leading independent satellite station and news website, was released on a bail of 1,000 Jordanian dinars ($1,400) after publishing an online…
    By Daoud Kuttab Behavioural experts have been studying what makes people change the way they think and work. Change management has become a popular field people are trying to figure out how to operate and refine. Some argue that societal change needs to begin at the bottom and rise to the…
        By Daoud Kuttab If the Obama administration’s prediction that 2016 will fail to witness the birth of the Palestinian state proves true, then this year should be dedicated to leadership transition. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, 81, needs to hand in his long-awaited resignation and Palestinians at large should…