Amman, June 1 (Petra) -- Rumours related to economic conditions, social affairs, and citizens' living standards dominated misinformation circulating in Jordan during May, despite a decline in the overall number of rumours compared with the previous month, according to the Jordan Media Credibility Monitor (Akeed).

In its monthly report released Monday, Akeed said it tracked 121 rumours during May, marking the third consecutive month in which misinformation activity remained elevated on the local scene. The figure represents a 22.9 percent decrease from April, when 157 rumours were recorded.

The report showed that economic and social topics were the most frequent subjects of misinformation, with each category accounting for 31 rumours. Together, they represented more than half of all rumours monitored during the month, reflecting growing public interest in issues linked to livelihoods, prices and social conditions.

Political rumours ranked third with 25 cases, accounting for one-fifth of the total volume monitored. Health-related misinformation followed with 14 rumours, while public affairs generated 12 rumours, and security-related topics accounted for eight.

Social media continued to be the primary vehicle for the spread of misinformation, the report found. Of the 121 rumours recorded, 88 originated from or were circulated through social media platforms, representing nearly 73 percent of the total.

By comparison, media outlets accounted for 33 rumours, or just over 27 percent of all monitored cases.

The report also highlighted the role of external sources in shaping part of the misinformation landscape. A total of 27 rumours originated from outside Jordan, representing more than one-fifth of the overall total recorded during the month.

Akeed's findings further showed that official institutions responded to less than half of the rumours monitored during May. According to the report, 54 rumours were formally denied or clarified by relevant authorities, accounting for 44.63 percent of the total.

Meanwhile, 67 rumours remained without official clarification or rebuttal, representing 55.37 percent of all cases documented during the month.

The monitor said the number of rumours officially refuted remained broadly unchanged from April, when 55 rumours were denied, indicating a relatively stable pace of institutional response despite fluctuations in the volume of misinformation.

//Petra// RZ