Conseil de déontologie journalistique (CDJ)

Name

Conseil de déontologie journalistique (CDJ)

Legal name

ASBL Association pour l'autorégulation de la déontologie journalistique

Website

https://lecdj.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Conseil de déontologie journalistique (CDJ) is the self-regulatory body for journalistic ethics in French-speaking and German-speaking Belgium, handling complaints, mediation, and ethics guidance through a 20-member multi-stakeholder Council, funded by indirect public subsidy and media industry contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Indirect public subsidy via AJP: The Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles provides indirect funding paid to the Association des Journalistes professionnels (AJP), which in turn pays its membership contribution to the AADJ (CDJ's parent non-profit structure). This covers half of the organisation's funding. The other half comes from media industry contributions.
2. Media industry membership contributions: Journalists (organised within the AJP) and publishers contribute equally to the AADJ's funding, maintaining the independence and balance of the self-regulatory structure. These contributions form the counterpart to the public subsidy.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The CDJ is the self-regulatory body for journalistic ethics in French-speaking and German-speaking Belgium. It provides a formal complaints procedure, ombudsman-style mediation, and information request services, and publishes the Code of Ethics, Recommendations & Directives, and reasoned decisions via its website and an online Jurisprudence Tool. All services are delivered free of charge to the public and journalists.

Product overview

The CDJ is a self-regulatory body for journalistic ethics in French-speaking and German-speaking Belgium, offering a portfolio of complaint handling, mediation, and information services. Its core offerings include a formal complaint procedure for alleged ethical violations, an ombudsman-based mediation service, and an information request service. The CDJ publishes its jurisprudence through an online jurisprudence tool and communicates through publications including DéontoloJ, La lettre du CDJ, and Les Carnets de la déontologie. It maintains reference standards through its Code of Ethics and issues Recommendations and Directives. The organization participates in European projects such as PressCouncils.eu and provides a glossary of journalistic terms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plainte (Complaint Handling Service)

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2018: 161 complaints received, 77 investigation files opened, 57% of opinions declared founded (exceeding 50% for the first time)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2019CDJ participated in an OIF mission to Tunisia following recent presidential and legislative elections, contributing expertise on journalistic self-regulation and supporting democratic processes in French-speaking countries. The OIF is actively involved in accompanying democratic processes in several member states, including Tunisia.
• PressCouncils.eu / European Press Councils ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2019CDJ is an active member of the PressCouncils.eu network, a European consortium of press councils collaborating on shared ethical standards. CDJ co-organised the European Interactive Forum 'Media Councils in the Digital Age' (Brussels, January 2020) with multiple European press councils and the European Federation of Journalists (FEJ), addressing challenges of digital-age journalism ethics.
• European Federation of Journalists (FEJ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2019The FEJ collaborated with CDJ and several European press councils on the 'Media Councils in the Digital Age' project and forum, co-funded by the European Commission, to promote and implement journalistic ethics codes in media organisations.
• Association des Journalistes professionnels (AJP)coreOthersThe AJP is the journalists' professional association that nominates journalist representatives to the CDJ and contributes financially to the AADJ (CDJ's parent body). Funding from AJP via the public subsidy covers part of the organisation's costs. The AJP also publishes CDJ decisions in its journal.
• Fédération Wallonie-BruxellescoreOthersThe Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (French Community of Belgium) provides indirect financial support to the AADJ/CDJ. The subsidy is paid to the AJP, which transfers it to the AADJ — ensuring no direct financial link between CDJ and public authorities, preserving the independence of self-regulation.
• Association pour l'autorégulation de la déontologie journalistique (AADJ)coreOthersThe AADJ is the legal non-profit association (ASBL) that creates, organises, and coordinates the CDJ. It holds legal responsibility, receives the public subsidy and media contributions, administers the organisation, and appoints CDJ Council members. Its board is distinct from the CDJ Council that decides on complaints.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Reporters Without Borders (RSF): International press freedom organisation that monitors journalism ethics and press freedom worldwide. Partially comparable to CDJ as a promoter of journalism standards, though its mission centres on freedom and safety rather than day-to-day ethics complaint adjudication.

Broad incumbents

• Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF): International Francophone organisation that has engaged CDJ as an expert on missions to Tunisia post-elections. Comparable as a broader institutional actor that promotes press freedom and self-regulation standards in Francophone countries, with CDJ acting as a contributing expert.
• European Federation of Journalists (EFJ/FEJ): Pan-European federation of journalists' unions, a strategic collaborator with CDJ on the 'Media Councils in the Digital Age' European forum. Comparable as a broader umbrella promoting journalism ethics, press freedom, and self-regulation across many European press councils.

Direct peers

• Swedish Press Council (Pressombudsmannen / Pressens Opinionsnämnd): Sweden's national press self-regulatory body handling ethical complaints against media. Directly comparable to CDJ as a long-standing European press council operating the same complaint-adjudication model, with codified ethical standards and published decisions.
• Austrian Press Council (Presserat): Austrian national press council providing self-regulatory ethics oversight for Austrian media. Directly comparable to CDJ as a co-member of the European Press Councils consortium offering complaint handling, mediation, and ethical guidance to journalists and the public.
• Press Complaints Commission of Ireland / Press Council of Ireland: Irish press council handling complaints and ethical standards for the print and online press. Directly comparable to CDJ as a statutory press council offering a complaints mechanism, mediation, and published reasoned decisions, and a member of the same European Press Councils network.
• Conseil de Presse (France): French press council that handles ethics complaints and guidelines for French journalists. Directly comparable to CDJ as a national self-regulatory body for journalistic ethics operating in a Francophone jurisdiction, with similar complaint, mediation, and recommendation functions.
• Raad voor de Journalistiek (Dutch Press Council): The Dutch-language press council of Belgium, operating as the counterpart self-regulatory body for journalism ethics in Flanders. Directly comparable to CDJ as the parallel national peer within Belgium, handling the same type of complaints and mediation for the Dutch-speaking media community.
• Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO): UK press regulator for newspapers and magazines, handling complaints and adjudicating breaches of the Editors' Code. Directly comparable to CDJ as a press self-regulatory body that processes public complaints, publishes decisions, and issues guidance on ethical standards.
• Deutscher Presserat (German Press Council): Germany's national press council, the co-organiser with CDJ of the 'Media Councils in the Digital Age' European forum. Directly comparable as one of Europe's most established journalism self-regulatory bodies, with complaint adjudication, a published code of ethics, and reasoned decisions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DeontoloJ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aadj-cdj

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Conseil de déontologie journalistique (CDJ)