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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100906/wr_nm/us_jordan_internet_1
Jordanian Websites Shift Political Dissent Online
(Reuters) Suleiman al-Khalidi - Mocking officials online, exposing high-level corruption and discussing political tension could land journalists in many autocratic Middle East states in jail. But Jordan's leading news website www.Ammonnews.net doesn't shy away from hectoring the government over misappropriation of funds by senior officials or highlighting fault lines between the country's Palestinian population and indigenous Jordanians. Unlike neighboring Syria or Saudi Arabia, where access to the Internet is restricted and some bloggers and cyber journalists have been jailed, Jordan's independent Internet sites have been relatively free. Despite taking stances against official government policy, the websites also reflect concerns from within the traditional conservative establishment. Some sites articulate opposition emerging from the country's leading tribes, particularly over the sensitive demographic balance between citizens of Palestinian and Jordanian origin.