Latest news with #CentreforStrategicStudies
Ammon
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Ammon
How Strategic Messaging Boosted Hassan's Ratings
Ammon News - Earlier this May, the Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan published the results of a public opinion poll on the performance of the Jafar Hassan government after 200 days. The poll indicated that the Jordan citizens and public elites view the government's performance favourably, believe it is well-equipped to lead Jordan to the next stage, and have skillfully navigated current geopolitical crises. These results were published as the Hassan government was facing challenging and ambiguous geopolitical and international realities. In the region, the onslaught on Gaza continues, Syria consistently has rapid developments on a significant magnitude, and Trump's executive orders and statements have shifted public policies on tariffs, sanctions, aid, and security. Accounting for all these factors, the question of whether the high ratings Hassan has received, the highest since 2011, are due to positive development in aspects of Jordanian life, or other factors. I argue that academic works, such as Weinberg (2024), can help shed some light on one of the reasons for this success: a successful public communication approach. In this article, I take the Instagram account of the Prime Ministry in its first week as a sample for analysis of the strategy followed by the PM's public communication team, examining commonalities and methods used to drive 'authentic trust' and appeal to the masses. While the timeframe is limited, it offers a useful snapshot of the government's communication approach. The first aspect of building authentic trust is regular outreach, which I will asses through post frequency. In the sample under review, the Prime Ministry's account posted 13 posts, nearly twice a day. Most importantly about these posts: each post was unique, and they emphasised the content, instead electing to choosing the most 'catchy' soundbites. As an example, on September 22nd, the account posted two videos from the same speech tackling one subject. However, each video had a separate identity: one on the role of the government, the other on consulting public opinion, and these differences were reflected in their respective thumbnails. In comparison, within the first week of the Khasawneh government, the same Instagram account posted seven videos in the span of three days, with all 7 videos having the same formulation, and being direct videos from the PM's remarks to parliament. The second aspect of gaining public trust is message framing. The posts within the period did not intend to serve as an outline of the technical details or share the political jargon common in speeches. Instead, the posts emphasised content that appeals to the public, with the first post's caption being:Prime Minister Dr. Jaafar Hassan chaired the first Cabinet meeting after taking the constitutional oath, telling his ministers: 'You must understand that every hour of work is a duty you owe to the nation, so do not fall short—not even for a minute.' Hassan also announced during the session that Cabinet meetings will be held once a month in the governorates. (Jordan [@primeministryjordan], 2024) The rest of the posts in the sample tackle three main themes often considered as the main concerns among Jordanians: national economic reform, economic growth in the governorates, and genuine awareness. The first two, although tackled by the previous government through publicising the Economic Modernisation Vision, were more directly addressed by the posts in question, through highlighting directives on accelerated completion of economic projects, and healthcare service expansion in governorates. The third theme, and perhaps the most interesting, is not being disconnected, which is the most common complaint about political classes and political elites. This theme is addressed through posts documenting field visits. Legitimacy of posting on field visits is solidified through the third aspect, often the most overlooked, visual messaging. The underlying message of these visits, that the PM is close to the people and listens directly to them, is conveyed by framing him as an active listener in these posts. In contrast, media covering the PM position as head of government, whether addressing his cabinet, meeting foreign dignitaries, or making statements in parliament, always frame him as the dominant speaker. The culmination of these three aspects in creating authentic trust explains, in effect, the record-breaking approval ratings for the current government, even though there is some overlap in membership between the current and previous government, economic indicators are yet to show improvement, and the region is at low levels of stability. Although political commentators argue that economic performance is trending upwards and that the regional instability helped Hassan achieve these numbers, I argue that the public affairs strategy, which I showcased a sample of in this article, plays a relatively larger part in garnering this authentic trust.
Jordan Times
04-05-2025
- Business
- Jordan Times
Public trust in government rises to 65%, highest level since 2011
AMMAN — Public confidence in the government of Prime Minister Jafar Hassan has risen to 65 percent, the highest level of confidence in a Jordanian government since 2011, according to a new survey by the University of Jordan's Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS). The poll, conducted at the end of April, reflected a steady rise in public approval since the government was formed, as confidence stood at 54 per cent when the government took office, rose to 51 per cent at the 100-day mark and has now reached 65 per cent after 200 days in office. Among opinion leaders, 64 per cent said the government was successfully managing its responsibilities - slightly lower than the 70 per cent at the 100-day mark, but still higher than the 52 per cent at its formation. At a press conference announcing the results, the CSS noted that Hassan's government has achieved unprecedented levels of public trust compared to previous governments, with both the Prime Minister and his cabinet receiving improved ratings. Confidence in Hassan personally has also rose, with 71 per cent of the public saying he is capable of leading the government, compared to 55 per cent at 100 days and 57 per cent at inauguration. Among opinion leaders, this figure reached 75 per cent. The performance of the ministerial team showed similar gains, with 60 per cent of respondents now believing that the ministers are competent, up from 47 per cent at the 100-day mark. Optimism about the direction of the cabinet reached 58 per cent among the general public and 50 per cent among opinion leaders. Public perceptions of the Kingdom's direction have also improved, with 74 per cent now believing that Jordan is on the right track - up from 47 per cent at the 100-day mark. The Prime Minister's local visits appear to have had a positive impact on citizens. Two thirds of respondents expressed satisfaction with these visits, while 40 per cent reported tangible benefits in their local area as a result. Engagement with government activities is also on the rise. More than half of respondents, some 52 per cent, said they follow government action, while an overwhelming 94 per cent of opinion leaders reported doing the same. Belief in the government's commitment to service delivery has also increased, with the results showing that 36 per cent of the public said they "strongly agree" and 39 per cent "somewhat agree" that the government is doing its best - up from 17 per cent and 45 per cent respectively in the previous survey. Freedom of expression indicators also improved slightly, with 55 per cent of Jordanians now saying they can criticise the government without fear, up from 51 per cent. Despite the generally positive mood, a majority of both the public (65 per cent) and opinion leaders (56 per cent) oppose a cabinet reshuffle at this time. Meanwhile, confidence in Jordan's core institutions remains high. The Jordanian Armed Forces, the General Intelligence Directorate and the Civil Defence each received approval ratings of 99 per cent, while Public Security scored 89 per cent. The nationally representative survey included 1,225 adults and 356 opinion leaders from seven professional and political sectors. It was conducted between 17 and 27 April with a margin of error of ±3 per cent and a confidence level of 94 per cent.
Korea Herald
17-04-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
S. Korea, Netherlands agree to boost cooperation in semiconductor supply chain
South Korea and the Netherlands have agreed to boost supply chain cooperation in semiconductors and critical minerals, including establishing an information-sharing system between their overseas missions, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. The two countries reached the agreement during the bilateral economic dialogue, headed by Kim Hee-sang, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, and Michiel Sweers, a Dutch vice minister, in The Hague on Wednesday, the ministry said. They agreed to push for the launch of an "early warning system" for semiconductor supply chains, under which the two countries will exchange information about the supply chain status of chips, critical minerals and other key materials on a regular basis. They also committed to working together in identifying potential risks in the semiconductor industry and make efforts to ensure a stable supply chain. During the trip, Kim signed a memorandum of understanding with the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies think tank for joint research in advanced technologies and other cooperation, the ministry said. (Yonhap)
Jordan Times
08-02-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
'Prime minister visits 53 sites across Kingdom, orders 98 on-site actions'
Prime Minister Jafar Hassan at Faisal Az Zoubi Plantation in Jerash, during a visit on November 4 to the northern governorate, where he toured seven environmental, agricultural, social, health, and educational sites as part of his weekly field visits across the Kingdom (Petra photo) AMMAN — The Prime Ministry on Saturday issued its third periodic report, detailing progress on projects and initiatives at sites visited by Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan during his weekly tours across the Kingdom. Between September 25, 2024, and February 8, the prime minister inspected 53 sites, which required 98 development and improvement initiatives across various sectors, including health, education, agriculture, industry, youth services, tourism, environmental protection, and social welfare. The report also showed that 45 initiatives have been completed, while work continues on the remaining 53 ones, according to a Prime Ministry statement. Minister of Government Communications Mohammed Momani said previously that the government was working on "institutionalizing" the field visits and turning them into a hands-on approach to address problems and achieve the envisioned economic growth. Momani said that special units have been created at the Prime Ministry tasked with planning field visits and following up on their outcomes, especially those carried out by Prime Minister Hassan. The minister also said that, through field visits, the government seeks to send a message that "what is happening in the region will not be a reason for delaying the work on local issues to realize the sought-after economic growth." Chairing part of a Cabinet session in January, His Majesty King Abdullah underlined that it is the duty of every official to serve citizens, stressing the need to continue following up on their needs in the field. Hassan reiterated the government's commitment to implementing the Royal directives to enable citizens to participate in defining development priorities at the local level and aligning them with the Economic Modernisation Vision as stated in the Letter of Designation, according to the statement. A recently published poll, conducted by the Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan, revealed an increase in public and opinion leaders' confidence in the government's performance. According to the poll, 70 per cent of opinion leaders believe the government has effectively managed its responsibilities, a significant rise from 52 per cent in a survey conducted after the government's formation. Confidence in the prime minister's leadership also improved, with 76 per cent of opinion leaders expressing trust in his ability to address current challenges, compared with 55 per cent previously.
