The initiative produced a number of awarenessraising videos that tackle various topics, including rumors and false news; verifying photos, videos, and news sources; disinformation; and media ethics. The initiative has also launched many contests targeting a Jordanian audience, including “I Understand,” “I Observe,” and “I Participate in.” In “I Observe,” for example, the participant is asked to fact check a local or foreign rumor by following a specific model.3 At this point, it is hard to assess the effectiveness of the initiative or the extent to which the strategy has been implemented, since it has just been initiated. However, what is certain is that the Jordanian government’s decision to adopt the concept of media literacy is a fundamental step. This will enhance awareness of the concept among young people and students significantly. Once developed, this type of educational initiative will have significant positive effects in the long run. Jordan will also serve as a model for other Arab countries that have not yet realized the importance of adopting media literacy. THE MEDIA AND INFORMATION LITERACY CENTER AT THE JORDAN MEDIA INSTITUTE In 2016, the Jordan Media Institute launched a media literacy project in cooperation with UNESCO and with funding from the European Union (EU). This formed the core of the national project for media literacy adopted by the Jordanian government. The institute’s Media and Information Literacy Center has been working for years to spread and promote the concept among the youth The institute’s Media and and students. The center focuses on developing educational and training Information Literacy Center curricula and guides in the fields of has been working for years media and information literacy. It to spread and promote organizes training programs for the media literacy among the youth and conducts studies, public youth and students. opinion polls, and periodic surveys regarding the state of media literacy. This is in addition to promoting concepts and skills related to media education among educational and youth organizations. The institute and the center have issued many publications in the field of media and information literacy (Jordan Media Institute n.d.). The most prominent of these are the following: • Media and Information Literacy: Guidebook on Understanding Modern Media and Communications.4 • Media and Information Literacy: News Literacy Guidebook:5 This work focuses on how news is I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH collected and asks the following questions: Is all the news broadcast by the media truthful? What is disinformation? How do we check the credibility of the news? How can we differentiate news from rumors? • Media and Information Literacy: Digital Media Literacy Guidebook6 • Teachers’ Guidebook for Media and Information Literacy at MIL School Clubs7 • Media and Information Literacy Textbook for Universities8 In addition to publishing a number of awarenessraising videos, the center organizes annual training programs on media and information literacy, targeting school students, teachers, graduates, journalists, and government employees. The former director of the media literacy project at the Jordan Media Institute, Bayan Al-Tal, stressed that the institute has introduced media literacy into school curricula (interview, June 2021). There are units about this concept in the textbooks for grades 7, 8, and 10. Moreover, media literacy will be integrated into the curricula of grades 1 to 12. Al-Tal pointed out that a partnership has been concluded with two Jordanian universities in the north and south, which have listed a media literacy course as part of their requirements. She also stressed that in its media literacy project, the institute focuses on combating mis- and disinformation through training in information verification and media ethics. According to Al-Tal, one of the most significant challenges facing the development of media literacy in Jordan is the general lack of competency in Arabic. She believes that the only way to ensure that an entire generation has media literacy skills is to include this in the curriculum at universities and schools; the various projects alone will not have the desired impact. 5.2 LEBANON The Media and Digital Literacy Academy of Beirut (MDLAB) was established in 2013 with the support of the American and Norwegian embassies in Beirut, UNESCO, and other global institutions. The academy is affiliated with the Media Research and Training Institute at the Lebanese American University (LAU), and it promotes media and digital literacy not only in Lebanon but in the entire Arab region by providing training and developing curricula and materials. Through the academic summer session, which has been held every year since its establishment, Middle East and North Africa – 43