1. Basic Requirements on Media’s Identity

The Media Outlet, as Conforming Entity, shall provide the name designating the Legal Entity or entities under which it is conducting business. In some cases, this will be the company or public entity (branch of government, parliament, legally authorised state institution, etc.) that has ultimate legal ownership of the Media Outlet. This usually is the body that would be held liable in a court case. It is the body that enters into transactions such as paying employees and suppliers or receiving funds from readers, viewers, customers, advertisers and other sources of funding.

The contact details that shall be provided are the postal address and both a general telephone number and email address for the Legal Entity or entities designated in clause 1.1 “Legal Entity Name”, as well as existing identifiers. Clarification: This should be the contact details for the Legal Entity. Elsewhere in this document, means of contact for reader, viewer or listener enquiries, editorial input and other purposes are required.

The Conforming Entity shall list all brand names, titles, publication names, etc. under which its Content is published, broadcast, printed or otherwise disseminated to the public or customers. These will be known for this document and this process collectively as the Media Outlet. It is that Media Outlet that will conform with this Journalism Trust Initiative Standard. This is the Conforming Entity. These include all names used on website URLs and on social media accounts, etc.

The Media Outlet shall list all URLs on which it publishes. If broadcast or audiovisual, the Media Outlet shall list all terrestrial frequencies, satellite, cable, streaming and other platforms on which it is distributed.

The Media Outlet shall at all times keep the safety (including digital safety and cybersecurity) of staff, contributors and owners as a primary concern. If full transparency of contact details or other information might endanger individuals, the Media Outlet shall describe what it can about the legitimate reasons for a lack of disclosure or use of pseudonyms for that purpose. Safety concerns shall not be misused to refrain from disclosure.

The Media Outlet shall provide the physical address of the headquarters of the legal entity referred to above in 1.1 Legal Entity Name. Clarification: This is necessary in cases where the address listed in the Contact Details clause (1.2) does not specify a physical location, or where the location designated by the contact details referred to in 1.2 is not the same location as the headquarters. Clause 1.5, Safety Concerns, may be applied.

The founding date of the Legal Entity referred to in clause 1.1 “Legal Entity Name” shall be specified. If the Media Outlet designated in clause 1.3 “Media Outlet” has a different founding date, the history of former legal entities and their founding dates shall be listed.