Radio Taiwan International (RTI) has become the first news organisation to obtain the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification in a Chinese-speaking market. Launched by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the JTI is an international quality standard for news organisations, a crucial method for restoring public trust in journalism and combating disinformation. RTI’s certification, announced on 29 January, comes just weeks before RightsCon25 in Taipei, the Taiwanese capital, where RSF will present the JTI.

This announcement represents a major milestone in advancing and implementing the JTI across Asian markets. We are delighted to see the strengthening culture of collaboration among public service media worldwide, driven in part by their commitment to obtain JTI certification. Ultimately, the JTI serves as a best practice framework for all news organisations, regardless of their size, format, or ownership. We hope that more publishers will be inspired to follow RTI’s lead.

Benjamin Sabbah, Director of the Journalism Trust Initiative

With Taiwan at the forefront of democracy in Asia, where authoritarianism is growing, RTI, a public broadcaster, has a responsibility to help foster a professional, transparent media landscape. The JTI standard provides the perfect international framework to promote these fundamental values among news publishers, and an innovative strategy to protect the right to freedom of expression and reliable information.

With AI making it harder to tell what’s real, public media credibility is more important than ever.  JTI’s news trustworthiness certification helps us check the quality of our reporting and also the transparency of our management.

Cheryl Lai, Chairperson of Radio Taiwan International

This announcement follows RSF Director General Thibaut Bruttin’s visit to Taipei in October 2024, where he met with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Wu. Thibault Bruttin praised Taiwan’s rise in the 2024 RSF World Press Freedom Index from 35th to 27th place but emphasised the need for media law reforms. He also presented RSF initiatives to boost press freedom, such as the JTI, the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism and the Propaganda Monitor.

RSF will participate in RightsCon25 in Taipei from 24 to 27 February 2025 to present JTI and underscore the importance of best practices in journalism. A dedicated workshop will be hosted on 27 February 2025 by RTI vice president Mingli Lee, Agence France Presse Asia-Pacific regional director Michael Mainville and JTI director Benjamin Sabbah, and moderated by RSF Asia-Pacific Bureau Advocacy Manager Aleksandra Bielakowska. They will discuss how JTI can be implemented, how to encourage digital platforms to promote credible content, and how to shape policies that support a healthier information ecosystem for all.