Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) bolsters trust in public service media, says Catherine Tait to gathering of public media executives in Prague
CBC/Radio-Canada President and CEO Catherine Tait called on public broadcasters around the world to fight disinformation and bolster trust in public media by getting Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification from Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Tait issued the call to action at the Public Broadcasters International conference (PBI Prague 2023), an annual international gathering of public media executives.
Launched by RSF in 2018, JTI is designed as an ISO standard to combat disinformation and promote trustworthy journalism. JTI scrutinizes a news service’s transparency and editorial practices, and makes compliance public. Public media who have been awarded JTI certification include CBC/Radio-Canada, France Télévisions, LRT (Lithuania), RTÉ News (Ireland), and SWI swissinfo.ch (Switzerland).
“Reliable and credible news is a hallmark of public media. As disinformation continues to spread, rigorous journalism — with its editorial independence, transparency and accountability — is an antidote. The Journalism Trust Initiative shows people where they can turn for this kind of journalism. As the first Canadian broadcaster to be awarded JTI certification, we are urging our peers around the world to join this movement and protect the trust audiences put in their public media news services.” —Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada
“Independent public service media are central to healthy societies. The JTI certification is a mechanism to confirm their commitment to universally agreed-upon practices in news media, and how they meet citizens’ information needs. We join CBC/Radio Canada in urging more PSMs to embark on the external audit towards certification. We also call on public authorities and regulators to be guided by this ISO-type standard and on all trade partners to give economic benefits that encourage getting certified and maintaining this status.” —Chistophe Deloire, Secretary General, RSF
During a session on threats to journalists’ safety and how public media can respond, Tait also encouraged public media organizations to use the open-source resources of the #NotOK initiative, including a newsroom guide for managing online harm that can be adapted for different markets and translated into different languages.
An update on the progress resulting from these calls to action will be delivered at the next Public Broadcasters International conference, PBI Ottawa 2024, to be hosted by CBC/Radio-Canada in Canada’s Capital Region from October 8–10, 2024.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
Media contact:
Leon Mar
Director, Media Relations and Issues Management | Corporate Spokesperson
CBC/Radio-Canada
+1 647 616-5768
leon.mar@cbc.ca
