Reporters Without Borders (RSF) applauds the first Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification awarded in Lebanon to L’Orient-Le Jour. This certification of compliance with the international standard for transparent and trustworthy news media was issued by the auditing firm Bureau Veritas Certification.
On behalf of RSF, I would like to congratulate L’Orient-Le Jour on obtaining the JTI certification. This certification represents a strong commitment by the media outlet and its teams to the public, and sends a positive signal in favour of transparent, professional and trustworthy journalism. We are also delighted to see an ever-growing interest in JTI in Lebanon and are convinced that L’Orient-Le Jour‘s example will inspire other media outlets to follow its footsteps.
Benjamin Sabbah, Journalism Trust Initiative director, RSF
In a global context of growing mistrust in the media, obtaining this JTI certification is particularly significant.
For decades, the teams at L’Orient-Le Jour have been committed to providing rigorous, ethical journalism that adheres to professional standards. Every day, we strive to preserve our editorial and financial independence, while strengthening our transparency towards our readership.
We are proud and delighted to see these commitments recognised and certified by organisations whose reliability, independence and professionalism are authoritative.
We would like to thank RSF for its ongoing support, which has enabled us to move forward on the path to JTI certification. We would also like to thank the teams at Bureau Veritas for the seriousness and attention with which they conducted the certification audit. We would also like to express its gratitude to the Samir Kassir Foundation for its continued support, which is invaluable to us.
Fouad Khoury Helou, Executive Director, L’Orient-Le Jour / L’Orient Today
The certification process, which begins with a self-assessment and the publication of a transparency report by media outlets themselves, allows accredited organisations, such as Bureau Veritas, to conduct an independent audit. This can then lead to the award of JTI certification for a period of two years, thereby strengthening the media outlet’s credibility with its audience and partners. We extend our congratulations to L’Orient Le Jour for obtaining this demanding certification for the first time.
Marc Roussel, Executive Vice President, Bureau Veritas France
RSF opened a Press Freedom Centre in Beirut in the summer of 2024 to support journalists covering Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. In the summer of 2024, a partnership with the SKeyes Centre for Media and Cultural Freedom of the Samir Kassir Foundation was launched to offer a JTI training programme and personalised support to some fifteen media outlets in Lebanon—L’Orient Le Jour, Megaphone, Sawt Kel Lebnen 93.3 fm, Voix du Liban radio, DARAJ, Raseef22, Anahon, Naqd Media, Al Khabar, Manateq, Polytalks, etc.
JTI is an ISO-type international standard designed for news sources that adhere to transparent, professional and responsible journalistic production processes. It serves as an indicator of reliability and quality for news sources as a whole. Internally, JTI helps to structure and strengthen the overall journalistic production process, thereby improving the quality and reliability of published content. Externally, it helps citizens, donors, authorities, international media and many other stakeholders to identify the most serious and rigorous sources. To date, 120 media outlets have obtained JTI certification, and more than 2,150 other media outlets in 122 countries use this international standard in their daily practice.
