The Jordan Press Association (JPA) plans to address the government to demand that ministries and officials refrain from talking to journalists and individuals from the media sector who are not members of the syndicate, Rakan Saaydeh, Chairman of the Press Association told Roya News English in a telephone interview on Saturday.

“The JPA law stipulates that only members can practice the profession. There are many intruders who claim to be journalists and contact public agencies seeking information,” Saaydeh explained.

The Chairman added that “we are planning to take legal action against those who are not members, yet still exercise the profession. Authorities should help us by refusing to speak with non-JPA members.”

The move aims to prevent the shameful practices exercised by individuals who claim to be journalists. Such practices include blackmailing, publishing fake news and attending conferences uninvited.

Not everyone was in agreement with the Chairman.

Khaled Qudah, media trainer and JPA board member, described the JPA’s decision as “hasty.”

“Before making such a critical decision and sending letters to the government, non-JPA members who are already in the profession need to be given enough time to become members. At the same time, employers in the sector must shoulder their responsibility in helping their employees join the JPA,” Qudah told Roya News English.

“I believe the JPA’s decision was a rushed one and not well-studied. We need to regulate journalists’ practices in a way that enhances media freedom, and support the individuals who currently work in the field but are non-JPA members,” Qudah added.

Qudah suggested setting a timeframe to allow those journalists and employers to rectify their situation. He suggested one way of doing it by providing journalists with a subscription in the Social Security Corporation and registering them with the JPA so that they eventually become members.

Jordanian law stipulates that a person is only considered to be a journalist if they are a member of the JPA. Non-members who introduce themselves as journalists commit a violation punishable by law, in the form of a fine between JD 100-JD 500, or a jail sentence that could last from one to three months.