The Amman-based Community Media Network (CMN) launched today a series of audio and visual public service announcements aimed at encouraging enlightenment and addressing extremism.

After months of research and focus group meetings with young Jordanians, CMN, a Jordanian not for profit media organization has produced 10 radio PSAs and five video spots that will be made available to local radio and TV stations. The radio spots have been broadcast on Radio al Balad and both the audio and video spots are also being rolled out on social media.

Daoud Kuttab director general of CMN said that the spots are aimed at encouraging young Jordanians to better understand the world around them and to show respect to the other. “At a time when we are seeing radicalism physically kill those who disagree with them we are trying to send a message that there is a different and more civilized approach to solving our differences.

Some forty five Jordanians representing the plurality of the country met over the past five months to suggest, discuss and ultimately approve the radio and TV spots that were finalized based on the participants own ideas.

Ghassan Farraj a videographer and the project director said that the project has gone through various phases. “At first people were not comfortable even sitting together with fellow Jordanians who were different than them, but then with the help of a skillful facilitator they worked together on ideas, reviewed scripts and then heard and saw their ideas turned into creative products.”

The audio and video spots are being rolled out online they can be seen on AmmanNet’s youtube channel and on facebook.com/ammannet. The PSAs can be accesses on  http://bit.ly/2djkl3i

Community Media Network is a leading Arab media NGO. It was set up in 2007 to provide a media outlet that supports democratic freedoms through media. CMN runs Radio Al Balad and AmmanNet.net. The Chairman of the board of CMN is the Jordanian novelist Elias Farkouh. Director General is Daoud Kuttab.