THE TREATMENT OF CORRUPTION ISSUES BY JORDANIAN ELECTRONIC NEWSPAPERS AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE NEWSPAPERS "Al-Rai," "Al-Sabeel," AND "Ammon"2023-2024

Abstract Corruption continues to be a serious problem in Jordan, and the part played by online newspapers in covering and framing corruption incidents greatly affects public opinion. This research sought to examine the coverage of corruption-related topics by Jordanian electronic newspapers during 2023 and 2024, emphasizing journalistic formats, contributors, types of corruption, and the degree of objectivity in their reporting. A content analysis approach was utilized to investigate three major news sources with different political leanings: Al-Rai (a state-run newspaper), Al-Sabeel (a political publication), and Ammon News (an independent private news platform). The results showed significant variations in reporting methods. Al-Rai mainly depended on articles, with most input from authors, while Al-Sabeel and Ammon News concentrated on news coverage and statistical information. In political corruption cases, "non-enforcement of laws" was the most commonly mentioned problem in all three newspapers. Coverage of economic corruption differed, as Al-Rai emphasized "misallocation of the state budget," whereas Al-Sabeel and Ammon News concentrated on "privatization." Likewise, the reporting on administrative corruption varied, as Al-Rai highlighted "nepotism," Al-Sabeel pointed out the "lack of compliance with official working hours," and Ammon News concentrated on "bribery." The research found that Jordanian online newspapers demonstrate varied methods of reporting on corruption, influenced by their political stances and editorial viewpoints. These differences emphasize the necessity for more balanced and thorough reporting to promote an informed public awareness of corruption in Jordan.