A frontline environment newspaper, NatureNews has made history as the first news media in Nigeria to be certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI).
The prestigious certification, which was announced at the weekend, is sequel to the newspaper’s excellent performance on a score of JTI parameters.
JTI is an ISO-Standard international organisation designed to provide a transparent mechanism for curbing misinformation and providing tangible rewards for ethical and professional journalism.
A statement by the media organisation says the JTI standards were developed by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres, RSF) in partnership with 130 experts and organisations representing journalists, editors, technology and advertising industries.
The statement says more than 400 media outlets from over 70 countries are currently participating in the JTI programme, with NatureNews blazing a historic trail as the first media establishment in Nigeria to be JTI certified.
In a letter conveying the prestigious certification, Mr. Macoumba Ndour says: “Nature News has been independently certified according to the JTI and CEN Workshop Agreement No. 17493.2019.
Mr. Ndour says, “The certificate covers the media production, media business management, production quality, and information reliability of the news brand.”
The JTI recognition comes a few weeks after the African’s foremost environment newspaper, NatureNews, was rated Top 10 in a survey of over 2,500 nature publications in the world.
In a measured reaction to the certification, the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of NatureNews, Aliu Akoshile, said he was obviously thrilled and excited by the successful audit after working so hard for it.
He said: “The JTI certification is a culmination of the rigorous online evaluation and scrupulous onsite verification of our journalism processes based on performance indicators administered by the International Risks and Quality, IRISQ.”
“Coming barely two months to the fourth year anniversary of NatureNews”, he noted, “the certification is a testament to our unwavering commitment to journalism ethics, managerial excellence, professional integrity, accountability, and corporate governance.”
“We are delighted to share the joy of this enviable certification with our loyal fans and audiences across Africa and around the world. We cherish them for keeping faith with our authoritative journalism on the thematic issues of environment, climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable earth.
