Global media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has trained 20 Nigerian Media Publishers and Managers on the importance of adopting Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) standards for trustworthy journalism practice in Nigeria.
The JTI is a market-driven solution aimed at promoting the credibility of quality journalism, reducing disinformation, and transforming it into a tangible competitive advantage.
Marc Aboflan, Africa Regional Manager of Reporters Without Borders’ Journalism Trust Initiative, who gave the training on Thursday in Abuja said, the training was aimed at motivating the Media Managers in Nigeria to pursue and adopt standards that encourage trustworthy journalism in the country.
Aboflan who is a journalist and a staunch advocate for press freedom in Africa, also advocates for responsible media practices and stringent regulations that uphold truth and accuracy.
He said, the primary objective of the training was to also provide guidance on aligning existing editorial processes, performance, and ethical conduct with JTI requirements.
Aboflan said, “today, the practice of journalism is certifiable according to the standards of the industry and that is what the JTI standards is trying to achieve.
“The JTI standards benefit for the media outlets is the trust. People can identify with the media outlets as trustworthy sources”, he added.
Earlier in her Opening Remarks, the Editor of Extractive360, Mrs Juliet Ukanwosu, who spoke on behalf of Reporters without Borders, said, the workshop was intended to promote a healthier information space with the development and implementation of indicators for the trustworthiness of journalism, that promotes and reward compliance with professional norms and ethics.
Mrs. Ukanwosu noted that the workshop seeks to highlight the importance of adopting the JTI for media publishers and managers in Nigeria and outline the incentives and benefits it offers.
“The JTI provides an inclusive transparency and compliance tool applicable to newsrooms of all sizes and types worldwide. By conforming to the JTI standards, media outlets can optimize their editorial processes, performance, and ethical conduct – giving them a competitive edge.
“This Initiative allows media houses to engage in trustworthy journalism, to stand out from the competition, and to be recognized as one of the most credible media sources globally.
“The JTI also enables consumers and citizens, regulators, investors, donors, and the private sector, like advertisers and distributors, to identify and reward trustworthy journalism; and contributes to a healthier information space at large with an independent, transparent, systemic, and potentially game-changing, self-regulatory mechanism”, she added.
Mrs Ukanwosu explained that “as a one-of-a-kind official ISO-type Standard, the JTI is certifiable by means of optional third-party audits, and it is machine-readable to feed into algorithmic indexation and recommender systems (social media feeds, search ranks, programmatic advertising) to enhance visibility, and eventually sustainability, of trustworthy sources of information.
“The 18 standard clauses cover the institutional and process level of journalistic production, including specifications on ownership transparency and editorial guidelines, covering independence, accuracy, and correction policies for example.
“Currently over 100+ media outlets are implementing this instrument along the different stages, including RTÉ News, Exit News Albania, SWI swissinfo.ch, France Télévisions or CBC/Radio-Canada”, she explicated.
