The public service media Czech Radio (Český rozhlas) has obtained its Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification, an international standard for trustworthy journalism launched in 2019 by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). To date, more than 2,150 media outlets in 120 countries worldwide use the JTI to align their news production processes with international best practices. RSF applauds Czech Radio — the 13th public broadcaster to hold a JTI certificate — especially at a time when Czechia’s parliamentary elections campaign has been flooded by pro-Russian disinformation.
“On behalf of RSF, we welcome the JTI certification of Czech Radio. Public service media are important vehicles for spreading trustworthy, diverse and independent information to the widest possible audience. The Journalism Trust Initiative certification strengthens this goal, offering a clear stamp of credibility and accountability in a time when boosting trust in the news has never been more essential.“
Benjamin Sabbah
Director, Journalism Trust Initiative, RSF
“As the media outlet with the greatest degree of public trust in Czechia, we decided to verify our quality through an independent international audit. The result is an acknowledgement that ranks Czech Radio alongside the most respected public media outlets in the world. At a time when public service media are facing growing pressure and their role is being questioned, this certificate is clear proof that Czech Radio meets the highest international standards. For us, the JTI is therefore more than a simple recognition – it is proof that our way of working stands up to global standards.“
René Zavoral
Director General, Czech Radio
The public broadcasters helping safeguard reliable information
Thirteen public broadcasters from ten countries have earned JTI certification, reaffirming their commitment to maintaining transparent, professional and responsible journalistic production processes. The majority are from European Union (EU) member states — the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is one of the founding partners of the JTI standard — which is an encouraging sign given the mounting pressure on EU public service media, as RSF recently detailed in the report “Pressure on Public Media: A Decisive Test for European Democracies.”
JTI-certified public service media around the world now include: CBC News and Radio-Canada in Canada; Český rozhlas in Czechia; France Télévisions, France Médias Monde, and Radio France in France; RTÉ News in Ireland; Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) and Latvijas Radio (LR) in Latvia; Lietuvos nacionalinis radijas ir televizija (LRT) in Lithuania; Swissinfo.ch in Switzerland; Radio Taiwan International (Rti) in Taiwan; Colorado Public Radio in the United States.
The JTI is an ISO-type standard that serves as a way for newsrooms to ensure their content production processes are professionally and ethically rigorous. The certification process has three main steps: a self-evaluation of the media using JTI criteria, which RSF has made easily accessible to all via a dedicated platform on jti-app.com; public disclosure of the self-assessment results in a transparency report; and an audit by an external, independent firm. JTI helps structure and strengthen the overall journalistic production process, thereby improving the quality and reliability of published content. It also helps citizens, donors, authorities, international media and many other stakeholders identify the most professional, reliable and rigorous sources.
Press release published by Reporters Without Borders on October 8, 2025.
