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For decades, audiences have migrated from one media format to another, often dismissing yesterday’s platforms as irrelevant. Yet, despite the constant evolution of technology, one fact remains unchanged: content is still king. Honest, independent, professional and relevant journalism continues to be essential — regardless of whether it appears on an FM dial, a computer screen or a social media feed.
In recent years, the global media ecosystem has tilted dangerously toward concentration. A shrinking number of powerful digital platforms now dominate information flows, leaving the public dependent on a handful of media moguls and state-backed outlets. As corporate or government influence tightens, trust erodes. That is precisely why community media remains vital.
Community media emerged in the latter half of the 20th century and has proven particularly effective in the Global South, where public service media is often aligned with governments and private media tends to be intertwined with ruling elites. Community platforms provide a crucial alternative: neither government-owned nor commercially driven, they exist to serve the public interest.
Their greatest impact has been local. Community radio stations have amplified the voices of women, young people, ethnic and religious minorities, migrant workers, and refugees — groups that are often excluded from mainstream narratives. Even taxi drivers and people with disabilities have found a platform to express themselves, mobilize communities and demand change.
Neither government-owned nor commercially driven, community platforms exist to serve the public interest
Daoud Kuttab
Our own experience with AmmanNet — launched 25 years ago as the Arab world’s first internet-based community radio station — shows how community media can evolve with the times. We successfully merged traditional FM broadcasting with digital platforms, creating a hybrid model that leverages both reach and credibility.
Digital media may travel farther, but in the Middle East and North Africa region it still lacks the trust that many listeners place in established FM stations. Government officials, experts and newsmakers routinely decline invitations to appear on purely digital programs, yet readily accept invitations from FM radio — even relatively small stations. Once these interviews are recorded and shared digitally, their impact multiplies.
For community media to thrive, governments must adopt regulatory frameworks that support — not suppress — local voices. Tunisia remains the only MENA country to fully legislate and license community radio, with 10 stations now operating. Elsewhere, the term “community radio” often applies to stations owned by universities or municipalities, which — without editorial independence — cannot fulfill a true public service mandate.
In Jordan, for example, current laws still prohibit charities and nonprofit entities from owning media outlets. This outdated restriction must change if genuine community media is to emerge. Similarly, license fees remain prohibitively high. Although amendments to the media law allow fee exemptions for stations without commercial advertising, the provision is optional. In 2018, our request for such a waiver — backed by both the Media Commission and the relevant minister — was rejected by the Cabinet.
For community media to thrive, governments must adopt regulatory frameworks that support — not suppress — local voices
Daoud Kuttab
Another structural problem lies in governance. Having a single government-appointed official oversee all licensing contradicts international best practices. A diverse, independent media board is essential to ensure the regulator serves the public, not a particular government-appointed administrator.
Across the region, young people — digitally savvy, politically aware and increasingly frustrated — are demanding meaningful participation in public life. Governments cannot respond to these aspirations by restricting social media or criminalizing online expression. Instead, they must engage honestly and constructively, recognizing that the digital revolution has made censorship ineffective and public dialogue unavoidable.
As our organization celebrates its silver anniversary, we reflect on what began as an experiment inspired by the pledges of Jordan’s King Abdullah in 2000. Twenty-five years later, Radio Al-Balad and AmmanNet have become a model for how community media can serve the public good and empower local actors across the Arab world.
Jordan deserves credit for allowing this experiment to grow. But much work remains if the vision once articulated by King Abdullah — that the “sky is the limit” for press freedom — is to be fully realized.
- Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He is the author of “State of Palestine Now: Practical and Logical Arguments for the Best Way to Bring Peace to the Middle East.” X: @daoudkuttab