The Journalism Trust Initiative aims at a healthier information space.
It is developing indicators for trustworthiness of journalism and thus, promote and reward compliance with professional norms and ethics.
JTI is led by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in partnership with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Agence France Presse (AFP).
The Problem
No level playing field for
journalism vs. ‘F*ke News’
We live in an era of the grand de-enlightenment.
On the Internet, algorithms tend to amplify the extremes – sensationalism, rumours, hate and falsehoods. Opinion and beliefs trump facts. The rule-makers in big-tech are not accountable to anyone. The rules of the game are in- transparent and change all the time.
On this rocky, tilting and ever turning playing field, journalism is unfairly disadvantaged, losing reputation, reach and revenues – which renders it even less competitive.
That logic needs to be reversed. Democracy dies without a fact-based discourse.
The Solution
Empowering trustworthy news with a competitive advantage
Journalism worthy of its name must be clearly distinguishable, by humans and by algorithms. That’s why JTI is translating mostly existing professional norms into machine-readable code.
At the manufacturing level of journalism, benchmarks of quality and independence must be transparent and verifiable to reinstate trust.
To that end, JTI provides indicators for media outlets to self-assess and comply with – and for citizens, advertisers and regulators to reward it.
JTI is not ranking or rating individual pieces of content as such a mechanism might be misused to curtail the freedom of speech.
The Process
Phase one: 2018 - 2019
Standard setting as an open, inclusive, tested and scalable approach
JTI is a collaborative standard setting process according to the guidelines of CEN, the European Committee for Standardization.
More than 120 experts have contributed to this CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) that was finally published on 19 December, 2019.
Phase two: 2020 >
Implementation
From 2021 onwards, the JTI will offer online tools and support for media outlets to voluntarily self-assess their editorial processes, to publish the results and to get independently audited. This pilot project 'Fostering qualitative media by rewarding reliable sources - Journalism Trust initiative' is co-funded by the European Commission.
Your Participation
Workability in real life is key
Therefore the JTI depends on your input.
We would like to encourage everyone to read the JTI Standard document and provide feedback.
In addition we invite media outlets and other stakeholders to join the pilot project and test the toolkit.
> Want to access the standards document?
> Contact the JTI Team?
Here you go:
JTI is for...
Media outlets
– that can self-assess compliance with the JTI standard and then get independently certified.
Social media and search platforms
– that can use JTI data to promote conforming sources.
Every citizen
– who can use JTI indicators for an informed choice of his or her news diet.
Advertisers
– that can use JTI to align their spending and thus, enhance brand safety.
Regulators
– that can use JTI as an independent, self-regulatory mechanism to allocate subsidies and benefits to media outlets.
Media Development actors
– that can use JTI as a means to select and evaluate projects.
@taylor_owen @jeffjarvis @Klonick @emilybell @AdrienneLaF - in a transparently governed and globally scalable framework.
#journalismtrustinitiative
Question: what are “relevant professional journalistic standards” according to this law? Who decides that and who monitors compliance?
#journalismtrustinitiative t.co/3OdBl7ZJT7
2: Only news organisations (and ones with >A$150k revenue that pass a test that they really are ‘news’) get paid for links. So even if you think that links should have to be paid for, that’s not the plan here. Only links to news. Not all the other links. t.co/7lRsSzH26p
Yes.
#journalismtrustinitiative t.co/HxKlgqTIWl
"Journalism is a profession build on having standards", standards honed over hundreds of years @JuliaAngwin says, "tech has blown those rules up", or maybe feel they shouldn't be bound by them, treating everything as "content". #RISJSeminars t.co/VEodvPL1IA
@rasmus_kleis @erinmillar - but be developed, governed and enforced transparently and independently through tested, scalable and legitimate methods, including third-party audits.
#journalismtrustinitiative
cc @DamianCollins
"The crisis of journalism continues, however, and other providers of public interest information such as members of the #journalismtrustinitiative rightly argue that they too deserve to receive benefits of prominence and discoverability" - writes @damiantambini
#DSA t.co/J1rhq7OI8A
The EU Digital Services Act is a great framework to protect and renew democracy in these difficult times. The UK should stay broadly in line with it as we design our domestic #onlineharms regime.
t.co/SuNoDKnZeD
Zur Erinnerung: Um #Desinformation zu bekämpfen und gleichzeitig Informations- und #Meinungsfreiheit im Netz schützen, gibt es längst konkrete Vorschläge der von uns mit initiierten #JournalismTrustInitiative. t.co/bsOqIpG2aO