Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, and the attendance of JMI founder, Her Royal Highness Princess Rym Ali, JMI celebrated the graduation of its 10th intake in the Master’s program in Journalism and New Media.
During the ceremony, JMI Dean, Dr. Zaid Rifai, said that Princess Rym's vision in establishing an academic institute that grants a Master’s degree in Journalism and New Media aimed at keeping up with the developments in various media domains while simultaneously maintaining the core of professional writing and reporting.
Rifai elaborated that the developments we see today in the fields of media and digital communication may be unparalleled in any other field. He added that these landmark transformations open up new opportunities while also posing risks and challenges, depending on how such advancements are dealt with in the world of social media and electronic media platforms.
Algerian novelist Mohammed Moulessehoul (pen-name Yasmina Khadra) was the keynote speaker at the ceremony. Khadra called on the graduates to be proud of themselves, hold onto their dreams and work honestly. He added that the path towards creativity begins when writers have faith in their capabilities and practice their profession bravely and with dedication. “God is with those who struggle for the truth and combat lies and hypocrisy, and honest media represents the conscience of humanity thus increasing the burden on the shoulders of journalists and reporters,” Khadra elaborated.
At the start of the ceremony, graduate Ali Shahin delivered a speech describing JMI as the home where he and fellow students learned the meaning of true journalism, saying that JMI has become a destination for journalists both in Jordan and abroad. He pointed to the role JMI plays in equipping students with the skills to produce valuable content, in addition to exercising constructive criticism and the necessity of reviewing every word that is written, stated or published.
At the end of the ceremony, HRH Prince Ali bin Al Hussein handed the certificates to the graduates. The ceremony also paid tribute to JMI former Dean, H.E. Prof. Basim Tweissi, Minister of Culture, for his outstanding efforts in serving the institute for a period of six years.
It is worth noting that since its inception, 252 students have graduated from JMI, and 92% of graduates currently work in media organizations in Jordan and abroad.