In this interview, Benjamin Sabbah, Director of JTI at Reporters Without Borders, outlines how the standard supports Balkan media in navigating political pressure, digital disruption, and AI-driven misinformation.

Author: NarativAI

The Western Balkans remain one of Europe’s most complex media environments, shaped by political influence, limited resources, and a constant battle against disinformation. 

At the same time, AI-driven content is entering the information space faster than newsrooms can adapt. Against this backdrop, the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) seeks to give regional media something they urgently need: a clear, internationally recognized roadmap for ethical, transparent, and credible journalism. 

JTI is an international standard that helps news outlets benchmark their transparency and their commitment to ethical journalistic practice. It provides a systemic approach to combat disinformation, and to foster a culture of transparency and responsibility in news publishing. In this conversation with Benjamin Sabbah, we explore how JTI can help strengthen Balkan media at a moment of intense transformation.

NarativAI: What motivated the creation of the Journalism Trust Initiative, and what gap in the media landscape was it designed to address?

In our digital age, it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish information shaped by vested interests from that produced by independent and fair news professionals. An open and honest public debate, aimed at informing the general public, is more and more difficult to sustain, especially when propaganda and ‘fake news’ seem on the rise and trust in institutions and the media is declining. 

To face those challenges, in line with the fight for freedom of information, this Initiative aims at concretely enhancing and safeguarding journalism worthy of this name, complying with ethical rules, approved journalistic methods, and guarantees of independence. We consider important to set up a transparent framework to promote principles of ethical journalism, both to provide guidance to the public and to encourage news providers to raise their professional norms and practices.

NarativAI: With AI reshaping journalism faster than ever, how is this technological shift influencing newsroom standards and practices?

In response to the turmoil that AI has created in the news and information arena, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and 16 partner organisations published on November 10th, 2023 the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism. Work on the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism was launched in July 2023 in partnership with civil society organisations, experts in artificial intelligence, media representatives and journalists.

The Charter defines ten key principles for safeguarding the integrity of information and preserving journalism’s social role. Inter alia, and directly pointing at newsroom’s new standards and practices, the core principles state:

• Ethics must govern technological choices within the media;
• Human agency must remain central in editorial decisions;
• The media must help society to distinguish between authentic and synthetic content with confidence;
• The media must participate in global AI governance and defend the viability of journalism when negotiating with tech companies.

NarativAI: Do today’s newsrooms need more structured guidance to navigate AI, misinformation, and digital disruption? How does JTI support them?

Yes, see our contribution to the issue in the previous answer. The JTI standard has a specific criteria on this topic : criteria “10.6 Automatically Generated Content” recommends that “News content generated, wholly or partly, automatically by means of algorithmic processes (such as but not limited to text generating systems, bots or artificial intelligence) shall be clearly indicated.” All the criteria of the JTI standard can be viewed here : https://www.jti-app.com/footer/cwa

In practice, we assume that the use of LLMs is now generalised among news professionals worldwide, even for the most simple ways to use them. Since the JTI standard promotes straightforward transparency of who you are and how you work, it is expected that news outlets disclose everything about their use of AI. Accredited certifiers that conduct audits towards the JTI certification have already reported that they scrutinise such practices and require news outlets to disclose how they use LLMs, the policies they implemented and how they enforce them.

NarativAI: How can JTI help media outlets in the Western Balkans strengthen credibility and rebuild public trust?

In the words of Koloreto Cukali, chairman of the Albanian Media Council, “While quality journalism is giving way to propaganda, the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) developed by RSF is a beacon of hope. It is one of the best things that appeared in the media landscape for quite a long time. An international standard of quality and ethical media, JTI will be very beneficial to the public in general and in Albania in particular.”

NarativAI: What practical benefits does JTI offer for small and under-resourced news outlets in the region?

JTI can help news outlets strengthen credibility, stand out from misinformation, and improve internal editorial quality. By requiring transparency about ownership, sourcing, corrections, or ethical practices, and by requiring to be in constant dialogue with the public, the standard makes it easier for audiences to understand how journalism is produced. This builds public trust and distinguishes reliable outlets from AI-generated content or websites even, dishonest publications, low-quality sources, etc.

JTI also positions outlets as brand-safe for advertisers and may improve visibility on platforms that reward trustworthy sources. Internally, the process encourages more consistent editorial workflows, clearer responsibilities, and stronger accountability. As media regulation increasingly emphasises transparency and anti-disinformation safeguards, JTI offers a ready-made framework that helps news organisations stay aligned with emerging industry and policy expectations.

NarativAI: What challenges do media outlets typically face when adopting JTI, and how might these appear in Southeast Europe?

Upholding ethical standards is a daily challenge for the great majority of media in the Western Balkans. The biggest challenge for them is to adopt higher standards of transparency while resisting pressures of all kinds or intimidations. The other challenge is to translate ethical principles and rigorous editorial processes in their daily routine, in their real life as reporters, editors, managers of newsrooms, and so on. While Journalism Trust Initiative may not be the solution to all these challenges, it certainly presents a structured framework to navigate them and to adjust.

NarativAI: What role can JTI play in improving verification and countering cross-border misinformation in the Balkans?

Beyond the criteria in the JTI standard on this specific issue, RSF is currently partnering with local organizations, such as the Albanian Media Council and the Media council for self regulation of Montenegro, to support news outlets from the Western Balkans and Turkey throughout the self-evaluation with JTI. This program presents an opportunity to introduce or reintroduce participants to one other through a new prism, which is JTI, and which we hope can serve as opportunity to open conversations, encourage collaboration or joint projects.

NarativAI: Can JTI certification help outlets improve reputation, trust, or access to funding opportunities?

We put the term “trust” at the centre of JTI because it signifies the level of credibility that journalism enjoys – or the lack thereof. This trust has of course to be earned. Journalists work in the public interest only if they act as “trusted third parties,” spreading information that enables people to be aware of, and fully comprehend, the challenges they face in their environment, and to form their own opinion. So, yes, we do believe that implementing the criteria of the JTI standard can help news sources improve their reputation, earn trust or negotiate with more weight with funders, donors, or business partners.

Let’s take the example of the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) in Ukraine, which releases its list of recommended news outlets every year. News outlets that make it to the list gain attention from a lot of partners a potential partners. Ukrainian news outlets that have adjusted their processes and their transparency following the JTI standard have reported, as a consequence, that they were considered in IMI’s survey prior to releasing their recommendation lists, and in some cases that they also made it to the list.

NarativAI: What message would you share with Balkan editors and journalists considering JTI but uncertain about capacity or resources?

You join 2.400 news outlets around the world that navigate the JTI standard and have, for the great majority of them, learned a lot, clarified workflows, strengthened the sense of belonging of their teams, and improved overall quality of their work. We can’t wait to have your feedback and to work together on ways forward for journalism. 

(This text was written and reviewed by the editor with support from artificial intelligence tools for language editing and stylistic refinement. More on how NarativAI uses AI — Link)