TORONTO – CBC/Radio Canada president and CEO Catherine Tait called Thursday for global public broadcasters to obtain certification for trustworthiness to combat disinformation.
Tait was speaking at the Public Broadcasters International conference in Prague, Czech Republic, when she called for the global broadcasters to assist in the fight against disinformation and bolster trust in public media.
She called for public broadcasters to get the Journalism Trust Initiation (JTI) certification, which is issued by Reporters Without Borders. JTI would scrutinize the broadcaster’s transparency and editorial practices in exchange for a label “showcasing and promoting trustworthy journalism,” according to the RWB website.
The CBC has that certification.
“As disinformation continues to spread, rigorous journalism — with its editorial independence, transparency and accountability — is an antidote,” Tait said.
“The Journalism Trust Initiative shows people where they can turn for this kind of journalism,” she added. “As the first Canadian broadcaster to be awarded JTI certification, we are urging our peers around the world to join this movement and protect the trust audiences put in their public media news services.”
Christophe Deloire, the secretary general of the RSF, added: “The JTI certification is a mechanism to confirm their commitment to universally agreed-upon practices in news media, and how they meet citizens’ information needs. We join CBC/Radio Canada in urging more PSMs to embark on the external audit towards certification. We also call on public authorities and regulators to be guided by this ISO-type standard and on all trade partners to give economic benefits that encourage getting certified and maintaining this status.”
The CBC said there will be an update to this call to action at the next Public Broadcasters International conference in Ottawa in October next year.
