NatureNews has made history by becoming the first news publication in Nigeria to pass the standard journalism integrity audit and earn the prestigious global certification of the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI).
This is contained in a statement signed by the publication’s founder and Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Aliu Akoshile on Saturday.
The JTI standards were developed by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres, RSF) supported by 130 experts and organizations representing journalists, editors, technology and advertising industries.
More than 400 media outlets from over 70 countries are currently participating in the JTI program, with NatureNews blazing a historic trail in Africa’s most populous country.
Akoshile said “As you are aware, this historic certification is a culmination of the intensive online evaluation and rigorous onsite verification of our journalism processes based on scrupulous international standards administered by International Risks and Quality, IRISQ.
“Coming barely two months to the fourth year anniversary of NatureNews, this enviable 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 for keeping faith with our authoritative journalism on the thematic issues of environment, climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable earth.
“We are immensely grateful to distinguished members of our pan-African Advisory Board for their invaluable insights and lending of their heavy weights and unassailable integrity to our unique genre of development journalism.”
The publisher gave kudos to the newspaper’s dedicated team, “whose tireless efforts have made this achievement possible. Your passion, expertise, and dedication to our core values have earned us this historic distinction.
“Even as we celebrate this achievement, we are not under any illusion that our work is done. We will continue to innovate and deepen our professional excellence to meet the needs of our audiences for credible journalism and stay on top of the dynamic environmental challenges facing our continent and humanity.
“Congratulations to you all. Let’s keep doing journalism the professional way.
