Amman, Oct. 26 (Petra) -- Jordan Media Institute’s credibility monitor, Akeed, said on Monday that widespread national consensus and solidarity across digital platforms and local media successfully contained and thwarted hate speech in the 48 hours following a deadly attack on a funeral procession at the Hmoud Church in Karak Governorate.

In a specialized report based on scientific research methodology and content analysis, Akeed said it monitored 657 social media posts during the initial 48-hour period, each generating three or more comments containing expressions of hatred aimed at specific social groups. The monitor noted that the majority of these comments originated from anonymous or foreign accounts.

The monitoring process was conducted in two phases using standardized operational definitions of hate speech, posts, public comments, and engagement. The first phase examined a sample of social media posts by local, regional, and international media outlets, assessing the nature of the content and analyzing audience comments to identify the prevalence of hate speech. The second phase evaluated the public pages of 128 Jordan-based and international activists and influencers who posted about the Karak attack.

Akeed applied its operational definition of hate speech aligned with United Nations standards defining it as any form of expression in speech, writing, or behavior that attacks an individual or group, or uses derogatory or discriminatory language based on identity, including religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, or gender.

During the 48 hours, Akeed documented 766 journalistic items across five social media platforms published by 16 media outlets, including 10 local outlets across broadcast, print, and digital formats, as well as six foreign outlets covering Jordanian affairs.

The report found that none of the media outlets' original posts contained hate speech. However, an analysis of user comments revealed that 657 posts representing 85% of the total posts analyzed received three or more comments containing explicit hate speech, accounting for 1.8% of total audience comments. The majority of these comments were traced to anonymous or offshore sources, many displaying "account closed" statuses upon further investigation.

On local platforms across Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube, Akeed analyzed 449 public posts. While news outlets maintained clean reporting, 388 posts generated hate comments, with 86% receiving three or more hostile responses. Hate comments accounted for 2.1% of the total comments on local media pages.

Akeed also monitored 317 posts across five platforms from international and Arab media outlets covering the incident. Of those, 269 posts (84%) attracted three or more hate-driven comments, representing roughly 1.7% of total audience interactions. The monitor observed a consistent pattern of automated, provocative, or pseudonymous accounts driving hostile discourse, particularly through religious generalizations, derogatory remarks, or calls against social cohesion.

In its second phase, Akeed examined 156 posts by 128 identified activists and influencers in Jordan and five foreign countries. The analysis showed that 27 posts (17.3%) contained explicit hate speech under the monitor's criteria, while 129 posts (82.7%) were free of divisive rhetoric.

Akeed highlighted that public figures and influencers carry heightened responsibility, as non-anonymous expressions of hate risk granting credibility to exclusionary discourse among followers.

The report noted that while initial online expressions attempted to induce religious polarization, the impact remained minimal. It concluded that Jordanian society, having previously navigated complex regional turmoil while preserving civil peace, demonstrated strong resilience and unified solidarity against attempts to fuel internal division.

//Petra// AF