Organisational development
JTI certification process
Since March 2025, with support from Reporters Without Borders, Radio Capsa FM has been working towards certification under the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI), the international standard that recognises media whose practices ensure reliable, transparent and independent information. The team formalised its internal policies, received support to align its practices with the standard, then underwent an external audit. Certification is in progress, with final validation still pending.
Context
Tunisian community media work in a difficult environment: economic pressure, sometimes limited access to public-interest information, and growing administrative demands on governance and the transparency of foreign funding. At the same time, disinformation and manipulated content compete directly with professional journalism. JTI certification answers this twofold challenge. It involves five steps: registration, self-assessment against around 130 criteria, publication of a transparency report, an external audit by an accredited body, and a certification decision valid for two years. For Radio Capsa FM, it means international recognition of its credibility and a lever to strengthen its governance.
Objectives
- 01Strengthen Radio Capsa FM's reliability, transparency and editorial independence.
- 02Formalise the internal procedures and governance documents required by the JTI standard.
- 03Support the team in aligning its practices with international standards.
- 04Fund the external audit and take the station through to certification.
What we did
- 22 March 2025Agreement signed with Reporters Without Borders, the first formal collaboration between the association and RSF
- 2025 – 2026Internal policies formalised: editorial procedures, fact-checking, complaints handling, transparency, governance and code of ethics
- 2025Two professional support missions on journalism and financial administration, delivered by Société Laghazala du désert formations et services
- 30 July 2025Collaboration with RSF extended to the "Voice of the Oasis – Women, Climate and Resilience" project
- 2025 – 2026External certification audit by the Hamdi Louati firm; its recommendations now serve as a roadmap and implementation has begun
- 2026Certification in progress; Radio Capsa FM is supporting Diya Media (Gafsa Today) as it prepares a JTI application
Results
Source: project closing report (narrative and financial reports submitted to RSF).
What changed
- Fact-checking, complaints handling and editorial independence have been strengthened.
- A culture of quality, accountability and continuous improvement has taken root in the team's daily work.
- The auditors' recommendations (formalised procedures, documented decisions, traceability, transparency) have become a roadmap already in progress.
- Partners now have a more reliable and transparent counterpart, and the Gafsa public gets information produced to recognised standards.
- The experience already reaches beyond the association: Radio Capsa FM is supporting the local outlet Diya Media (Gafsa Today) towards a JTI application.
