Jordan News Agency

The Jordan News Agency, widely known by its Arabic name Petra and the acronym PETRA, is Jordan's national news agency. It supplies Arabic- and English-language news, photographs, archival material, broadcasting-related services, training, and specialized media products to domestic and international subscribers. Its principal institutional role is to report on Jordanian public affairs and distribute nationally produced news to media organizations and other users, while also carrying material relevant to Jordan's relations with the wider Arab region and the international community. Petra was established on 16 July 1969 as an independent body linked to Jordan's Ministry of Information. This arrangement placed the agency within the public information system while giving it a distinct operational identity. Its later development followed the broader modernization of news distribution technology: early bulletins were transmitted through communications lines and mechanical teleprinters, followed by computer-based systems, electronic archives, internet publishing, and satellite transmission. A major institutional change occurred in June 2004 after the Ministry of Information was dissolved. A special ordinance subsequently established Petra as an independent entity with financial and administrative autonomy. The framework also defined the responsibilities of its board and director general and authorized the agency to sell selected services to subscribers. These services include access to news, photograph, and document archives; customized news services for Jordanian and foreign organizations; television-unit services and equipment leasing; professional, press, media, and technical training; special news bulletins; and advertising on its website. The agency's regular output includes a daily Arabic newsletter averaging about 100 news stories and an English newsletter averaging about 35 items. It also distributes photographs, provides SMS-based news delivery, operates a training center and television unit, and maintains substantial text and photographic archives. The agency has reported an archive of more than one million news items and a digital photo archive containing approximately 110,000 photographs. These resources give Petra both a current-news function and a documentary role in preserving material concerning Jordan and the surrounding region. Petra has participated in regional and international news-exchange networks. It is an active member of the Federation of Arab News Agencies and the Non-Aligned Countries' News Agencies Pool. Its correspondent network has included locations such as Cairo, Copenhagen, New York, Tokyo, Bonn, Paris, Gaza, Ramallah, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Moscow, London, Beijing, Baghdad, Beirut, and other regional and international centers. Through these links, the agency has combined national reporting with access to international news circulation. Its technical transformation proceeded in stages. In 1976, Petra began transmitting news by VHF short-wave broadcasts to the Arab world and Europe for several hours daily. It computerized press reception, dispatch, and archiving in 1992, upgraded its archive through an Oracle database and high-capacity storage in 1994, and began satellite transmission under a 1995 agreement with United Press International. With support from UNESCO, it developed an electronic photographic archiving system in 1997. Internet connectivity and an initial news-and-photography website followed in 1998. In 1999, the agency introduced an updated news system known as Nepras, integrating news, photograph, and document archives and addressing the Year 2000 software transition. In 2001, internet-enabled access allowed journalists in Jordanian governorates and overseas locations to submit material to the editing system remotely. Further website automation and electronic monitoring capabilities were introduced in 2004. Petra remains a public national news institution whose activities combine journal…

Jordan News Agency was created on 16 July 1969 as an independent body associated with Jordan's Ministry of Information. Its creation provided the country with a dedicated national mechanism for gathering, editing, and distributing news. In its early period, Petra circulated bulletins through communication lines and mechanical teleprinters. The agency later expanded its reach through broadcast transmission and progressively replaced manual and mechanical processes with computerized systems. In 1976, Petra began transmitting news on VHF short-wave frequencies to audiences in the Arab world and Europe for six hours per day. This was an important expansion beyond internal distribution, allowing the agency's output to reach a broader regional audience. In 1992, it computerized the reception, dispatch, and archiving of press material. Two years later, its archive infrastructure was enhanced through an Oracle database and high-capacity storage equipment. Petra entered satellite distribution in 1995 under an agreement with United Press International. The arrangement enabled its news transmissions to reach users around the world. In 1997, UNESCO support helped the agency establish an electronic photographic archiving system. The system was intended to preserve the agency's visual record of Jordan and the region and supported the storage of a substantial body of historical photographs. The agency connected to the internet in 1998 and launched an initial website carrying news and photographs. It subsequently made repeated upgrades to the site as information technology and online publishing developed. In 1999, Petra introduced a new version of its Nepras news system. The system integrated news, photographic, and document archives and was designed to address the technical risks associated with the Year 2000 transition. In 2001, Petra introduced software that allowed journalists in Jordanian governorates and abroad to connect to Nepras through the internet. Reporters could access the system remotely, prepare stories, and forward them to the editing page. This reduced the dependence of the reporting network on physical transmission and made the agency's editorial workflow more distributed. Petra's institutional status changed in 2004 following the dissolution of the Ministry of Information. A special ordinance made the agency an independent entity with financial and administrative independence and specified the authority of its board and director general. The ordinance also permitted Petra to sell certain services to willing subscribers, including archive access, requested news services, television-unit services, training, special bulletins, and website advertising. During the same period, the agency developed software for automatically updating news and photographs on its website and introduced electronic monitoring for recording and storing news bulletins. The agency's service portfolio has combined routine news distribution with visual journalism, archives, broadcasting support, professional education, and digital delivery. Its reported output has included approximately 100 Arabic news stories and 35 English news items per day, together with around 25 photographs daily. Its archive has contained more than one million news items, while its digital photo archive has held approximately 110,000 images. Petra has also operated correspondents or news contacts in numerous Arab, European, Asian, and North American locations. Internationally, Petra has been associated with the Federation of Arab News Agencies and the Non-Aligned Countries' News Agencies Pool. These affiliations place it within formal networks for cooperation and exchange among national and regional news agencies. Its overall development reflects the transition from teleprinter-based bulletin distribution to computerized editorial systems, satellite transmission, internet publishing, electronic archives, and remote reporting. Public reference material identifies the Government of Jordan as its owner but does not provide a separate founder, named corporate parent, or stock-market listing.

1. 2004Administrative independence established

   After the Ministry of Information was dissolved, a special ordinance granted Petra financial and administrative independence and authorized selected subscriber services.

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2. 2001Remote internet access enabled

   Journalists in Jordanian governorates and abroad gained internet access to the Nepras system for preparing and submitting reports.

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3. 1999Nepras news system introduced

   A new Nepras system integrated news, photograph, and document archiving and was designed to address the Year 2000 technology transition.

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4. 1998Internet service and website launched

   Petra obtained an internet connection and launched an initial website carrying news and photographs.

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5. 1997Electronic photo archiving developed

   With UNESCO support, Petra developed an electronic photographic archive for material documenting Jordan and the region.

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6. 1995Satellite news distribution introduced

   An agreement with United Press International enabled Petra to transmit news by satellite to users around the world.

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7. 1994Archive infrastructure upgraded

   Petra developed its archive using an Oracle database and high-capacity storage equipment.

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8. 1992Press operations computerized

   News reception, dispatch, and archiving were computerized.

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9. 1976VHF short-wave transmission begins

   Petra began transmitting news by VHF short wave to the Arab world and Europe for approximately six hours per day.

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10. 1969Agency established

    Jordan News Agency was established on 16 July as an independent body linked to Jordan's Ministry of Information.

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Jordan's official national news agency and a public provider of Jordanian news, imagery, archives, and related media services for domestic and international users.

• Arabic daily news serviceNews distribution

  Petra's principal Arabic-language service provides a daily stream of Jordanian and regional news. Reference material describes an average of approximately 100 Arabic news stories per day, distributed through the agency's news channels and made available to subscribers and media users.

• English daily news serviceNews distribution

  The English service extends Petra's coverage to international readers and organizations. It has been described as producing an average of approximately 35 English news items per day, supporting the agency's role as Jordan's external-facing national news provider.

• Photographic news servicePhotojournalism

  Petra distributes news photographs alongside its written services. Reference material describes average output of about 25 photographs per day and a digital photo archive of approximately 110,000 images, including photographs documenting significant events in Jordan and the surrounding region.

• News and document archivesInformation archives

  The agency maintains searchable collections of news, photographs, and documents. Its reported news archive contains more than one million items, while archive access can be offered as a specialized service to subscribing organizations and other users.

• Customized news and special bulletinsProfessional news services2004

  Petra is authorized to provide special news services requested by local or foreign organizations and to prepare special news bulletins. These offerings extend the agency beyond routine distribution into commissioned or subscriber-specific information services.

• Training Center ServicesMedia training

  The agency provides professional, press, media, and technical training through its training-center activities. The service reflects Petra's role as a public media institution with capabilities extending beyond reporting and distribution.

• TV Unit ServicesBroadcast production support

  Petra's television unit provides related services and may lease its equipment. The offering gives media organizations access to the agency's broadcast-oriented facilities and technical resources.

• SMS ServiceMobile news delivery

  The SMS service delivers Petra news through mobile messaging, providing a direct channel for users who need updates outside the agency's website or conventional newsletter formats.

• 2004Move toward independent, service-based operationsStrategy

  The Ministry of Information was dissolved, requiring a new institutional framework for Petra. The agency also needed a structure that reflected its expanded digital, archival, training, and broadcasting activities.

  What changed. A special ordinance granted Petra financial and administrative independence, defined the powers of its board and director general, and authorized it to sell selected services to willing subscribers.

  Aftermath. Petra continued as a public national news agency while gaining a formal basis for fee-based archive access, customized news, television-unit services, training, special bulletins, and website advertising.

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1. Jordan News Agency
2. Petra News Agency official website