Benjamin Sabbah to run RSF’s Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI)
Benjamin Sabbah, the former CEO of the English-language news site Wordcrunch, has joined Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as head of the Journalism Trust Initiative media certification programme, to step up its deployment to media and information actors worldwide.
In his new position as JTI director within RSF, Sabbah is tasked with developing the JTI standard’s adoption by media that offer reliable, quality news reporting. His mission is also to promote the JTI as a benchmark for all stakeholders in the information ecosystem, including social media, search engines, advertisers and government agencies, that want to promote quality content.
“We are delighted that Benjamin Sabbah is joining us in order to put all of his energy and skills at the service of an initiative that is at the heart of RSF's mandate, the JTI, which has just been enshrined in the European Media Freedom Act. We are convinced that he will be able to inject a new impetus into the task of extending and amplifying this crucial standard’s development in response to the information challenges we face today.
A graduate of the Sorbonne and Paris-Dauphine Universities in economics and international project management, Sabbah began his career in the marketing department of Agence France-Presse in 2006 as head of international pricing. He went on to lead AFP’s B2B product and services marketing team, and then the business development team of its France sales department until 2018.
In 2019, Sabbah joined the Paris-based English-language news site Wordcrunch as its CEO, a position he held until early 2024. He has also been a member of the bureau of the French Union of Independent Online Information Press (SPIIL) and has taught media economics at various schools.
“I discovered the world of journalism at the age of 12 when I bought my first RSF book of ‘100 Photos for press freedom.’ So, it was thanks to RSF that I found my professional vocation. Thirty years later – or around 60 issues of 100 Photos – I have the good fortune to be joining RSF to pursue the development of a major initiative designed to repair the link between citizens and their media. I have no words to express my joy and gratitude for the trust placed in me.
The JTI is a journalism standard – as well as a market mechanism for promoting quality journalism – that is recognised by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and in the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), and is already in the process of being adopted by more than 1,200 media outlets in 80 countries.
RSF regards the JTI as a key element in the evolution of its missions and its desire to develop a systemic approach to its efforts to defend and promote the media, journalism and trustworthy information.
The JTI team and its representatives around the world are available to media outlets to assist them with their JTI certification.
To find out more about the Journalism Trust Initiative: https://www.journalismtrustinitiative.org/
To discover your media outlet’s level of compliance with the JTI: https://www.jti-app.com/
Contact: Chloé Fiodiere - [email protected]
