Jordan News Agency, or PETRA, is Jordan’s official news agency. It started operations in 1969.
Media assets
News agency: PETRA
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
PETRA was established through a Royal Decree in 1969. At the time, it was subordinated to the Ministry of Information. In 2004, the agency became independent as the Ministry of Information was dissolved. PETRA is now subordinate to the Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications, who holds the position of PETRA’s chairman.
Source of funding and budget
PETRA is majority-funded by the government. According to local experts and journalists, the agency received a total of JOD 2.8m (nearly US$4 m) from the government in 2019. The agency also generates funding by selling its products (mainly news content). In 2023, the agency received over JOD 3m (US$ 4.2m), according to a state budget document consulted for this report.
Editorial independence
According to local journalists and experts and an ad hoc content analysis conducted in the latest round of research, PETRA’s editorial decision-making process is under tight government control.
The latest research round identified no domestic statute establishing PETRA’s editorial independence. During the latest round of research, no independent assessment or oversight mechanism was identified to validate PETRA’s editorial independence.
July 2024