Delfi, Lithuania’s news portal established in 2000 and with the largest share of audience nationally, obtained the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification from an independent audit firm. JTI is an international standard that promotes transparency, independence, and compliance with journalistic ethics in news publishing. This new certification consolidates JTI’s footprint in the Baltics, with JTI certified news organizations including Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) and FM99 in Lithuania, and Latvijas Radio and Latvijas TV in Latvia.

“We salute the constant engagement of the teams of Delfi in favor of transparent and rigorous practices, and constant engagement with the general public. This JTI certification attests to an effort by the group to continue to strengthen the quality of its editorial processes, in a news landscape where disinformation campaigns, political and economic pressure weigh on the independence of newsrooms and journalism.”

Benjamin Sabbah, director of Journalism Trust Initiative

“Journalistic credibility and audience trust are the most important currency in the media. We live in an age of information overload, where the greatest challenge is not a lack of news, but the ability to distinguish who publishes objective, verified information and who can truly be trusted. Every ‘Delfi’ journalist knows they are obliged to adhere to the highest standards of reliability—this international certificate testifies to the values and professional requirements that guide us.”

Rasa Lukaitytė-Vnarauskienė, Editor-in-Chief of Delfi

JTI was developed in 2019 as an ISO-type international standard by roughly 130 experts from media outlets, media regulatory bodies, media associations and digital platforms. They worked to define the criteria of transparency, independence and ethics necessary for an industry standard applicable to all types of news sources. The idea of designing a self-regulatory mechanism applicable to all news sources worldwide was the initiative of the Paris-headquartered media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

The JTI certification process has three stages. First, the introduction to the standard via JTI’s portals. Second, the self-evaluation by the media. Finally, as an opption, the certifying audit. More than 2,400 media outlets in 127 countries use JTI. 1,460 are currently undergoing self-assessment, 830 published their transparency report, and 135 obtained JTI certification following an audit.

In Lithuania, over thirty news outlets are currently involved in the JTI process. Three achieved the JTI certification: public broadcaster Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), regional radio station in South Lithuania FM99, and now Delfi (JTI certificate available here).