Introduction
JournoTECH Framework for Building
Trust-Centered Technology Organisations
Technology has become central to how organizations deliver services, engage communities, and make decisions. Yet many organisations adopt digital tools without establishing the governance, people, policies, and systems needed to use them responsibly.
The JournoTECH Framework was developed through the JournoTECH Innovation Forum, supported by SPRITE+, a consortium that brings together people involved in research, practice, and policy focused on digital contexts.
The Forum brings together insights from 10 professionals across journalism, academia, cybersecurity, civic technology, artificial intelligence, law, and policy, in addition to JournoTECH team members, to provide a practical guide for organisations building or strengthening technology functions.
Many thanks to JournoTECH Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi, for leading this forum and helping to design the final output, and we are grateful to our Global Director, Kevin Woke, who supervised the editing and design of the final output of the framework.
The development of the JournoTECH Framework would not have been possible without the invaluable insights, expertise, and dedication of our ten selected professionals. We express our sincere gratitude and acknowledgment to the following contributors, who are listed in no order of importance: Dr. Amber Macintyre, working as an independent researcher, Mariano delli Santi, representing the Open Rights Group; Girma Sisay Negashe, from the University of Gondar; Sibangilizwe Moyo, with Thermo Fisher Scientific; Gbemisola Esho, representing Connectobridge; Cynthia Chepkemoi, from SBM Bank (Kenya) Limited; Ajibola Agbaje, with Japaflex; and Marcelle Chagas do Monte Gontijo, representing Rede JP and Mozilla. We also extend our thanks to our academic expert who preferred to remain anonymous.
We appreciate our team members, Faith Imbu Brownson, Rosemary Nwaobasi, . and Blossom Gilbert-Amakiri, who supported in ensuring the forum was a success
Our sincere appreciation to our session facilitators: Dr. Neeranjan Chitare, Lecturer in Computing, Engineering & Built Environment at Birmingham City University, whose session guided participants in collaborating to draft the technical governance and responsible technology sections of the framework; and Rebecca Bird, Founder of Bixbe Tech & Birdiebox.AI, whose session covered foundational strategies to protect organisations, the practical benefits of data protection and privacy, and building team resilience when disruptions occur.
Rather than focusing only on technology, the framework recognises that trust is created through the interaction of people, processes, governance, and technology.
"Trust is not built by technology alone,
but through the interaction of people,
process, governance, and technology" —JournoTECH