DW joins IPTC and steps up efforts against disinformation

DW has joined the world's leading tech and media organizations as a voting member of the International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC). The mission? To tackle dis- and misinformation head-on.

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With AI-generated content looking increasingly real, authentication and transparency of news coverage is more important than ever. This rings truest for DW users facing disinformation and manipulation by authoritarian regimes. DW has long been in close exchange with experts from international media organizations and is a pioneer among German public media in this regard. As part of this commitment, DW has joined the IPTC and its Media Provenance Committee as a voting member, aligning itself with a strong coalition of international media and tech companies committed to developing technical standards for the media industry.

By joining the IPTC, DW is working to boost trust in established media, publishing houses and content providers. DW joins other major news broadcasters such as the BBC and CBC/Radio-Canada to represent the interests of the news and media sector in the further development of the C2PA 2.0 Content Credentials standard for media provenance. This certification ensures that online content is legitimate, untampered with, and verified against dis- and misinformation.

"It is no secret that deepfakes, disinformation and other forms of fake news are on the rise, putting increasing pressure on all international news broadcasters," says Guido Baumhauer, Managing Director, Distribution, Marketing and Technology at DW. "The IPTC and its members from across tech and media are a perfect fit to DW and our constant struggle against misinformation. This is a major step for us, as certifying real news as real news is how we reassure our audiences that our content is from us – and only us." 

Bruce MacCormack, Chair of the Media Provenance Committee, IPTC: "Media providence can help to reduce the risk of disinformation in the news ecosystem. This will require international cooperation and interoperable technical standards. We are delighted to have DW added to our team."

Recent announcements by major tech companies have confirmed the value of an interoperable way of confirming the source and technical integrity of digital media content. The certification is currently in development, with the BBC and CBC/Radio Canada taking part as trial participants.