Annual Report 2013

THE YEAR 2013 AT THE INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM CENTER

The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) experienced an eventful year, rich in interesting projects and notable accomplishments. To its traditional activities, this year the IJC added some new ones: the Media Azi (Media Today) portal, multimedia products, training for journalists in new domains, and last but not least, the IJC Caravan through which we launched a dialogue with journalism students and university professors.

Journalists from the local and national press participated in training sessions organized by the IJC on the following topics: online journalism, data journalism, access to information, citizen journalism, and media reporting on gender. Furthermore, as in previous years, in 2013 the IJC provided internships and training programs for journalists working in the Transnistrian region and in UTA Gagauz-Yeri.

The Media Law and Policy Department monitored the situation of the media in the Republic of Moldova as well as legal proposals and modifications concerning the media. Moreover, it provided free legal assistance to media outlets and journalists.

The team of the Advocacy and Production Department carried out 21 projects in 2013, mostly related to various aspects/problems of the work of journalists such as professional solidarity, conflicts on ethics, public confidence in journalists, and access to information.

This year the IJC research unit launched two analyses of press freedom in the Eastern Partnership countries according to which the Moldovan press was partially free, though our country held the top position in the ranking. A new project that aimed to bring together news about the media, tools for media consumers, study and monitoring reports, and information about the IJC started in the summer of 2013. The new “virtual image” of the IJC is Media-azi.md—a portal for journalists and the public alike.

As per custom, in May the IJC marked “Press Freedom Days” along with other nongovernment organizations (NGOs).

In September we launched the IJC Caravan with the goal of consolidating collaboration with Moldovan universities.

At the end of the year, journalists from all over the country gathered for the Annual Press Club Gala, an event that has already become a welcome tradition during which the IJC recognized the top ten journalists of 2013.

The IJC continued to publish Mass Media in Moldova, the unique, bi-annual analytical magazine covering media issues that it launched in 1995.

In 2013, the Chisinau School of Advanced Journalism (CSAJ) continued to train new students in diverse technical capabilities and to develop their ethical consciousness. In June 2013, the seventh class of graduates from SAJ joined the ranks of journalists working for domestic media outlets such as PRO TV, Publika TV, Radio Chişinău, Ziarul de Gardă, Ziarul Naţional and Evenimentul Zilei. On 2 September 2013 the SAJ began its new academic year.

The best journalists of the year, 19 December 2013.

Participants of the training program on civic journalism, February 2013

Facebook representative Elisabeth Linder visits CSAJ.

THE SCHOOL OF ADVANCED JOURNALISM

Since 2006, the IJC has implemented a multifaceted, ten-month training program at the Chisinau School of Advanced Journalism (CSAJ) to consolidate the media market in Moldova by training comprehensive journalists.

At the end of the academic year (September 2012 – May 2013) and after specialized internships, on 24 May the SAJ graduated its seventh class in a solemn ceremony that took place in Cimişlia. The 15 graduating journalists had the opportunity to visit the local media outlets Media TV and Radio Media Cimişlia and to meet the editorial team of the weekly Gazeta de Sud. During the meeting they learned about the working conditions of the local press. The seventh class of graduates joined the ranks of reporters working for domestic media outlets such as PRO TV, Publika TV, Radio Chişinău, Ziarul de Gardă, Ziarul Naţional, and Evenimentul Zilei.

There were two rounds of recruiting for the academic year 2013–2014: April–May and July–August. A committee composed of CSAJ instructors and media managers evaluated 25 applications. As in previous years, recruiting took place in three stages: shortlisting, the admission exam, and the interview. Five men and ten women were admitted to CSAJ for the academic year 2013–2014. The average age of the new students is 25, and their professional backgrounds are quite varied: law, anthropology, political science, tourism, economics, and theatre. Two of the new students were graduates of a journalism faculty, one in Romania.

The first course in 2013–2014 was “Introduction to Journalism” (2–4 September) taught by Sorina Ştefârţă, editor of the newspaper supplement Obiectiv European, edited by the Independent Press Association. The students were taught about objectivity, impartiality, and accuracy. Special attention was given to the topic of sources and writing techniques. The next course, “The News,” was taught by Maia Metaxa, former reporter at Radio BBC and former editor at Publika TV, and Alexandru Canţîr, host on Radio Free Europe. For one week students were taught the basic rules for writing news. Most of them emphasized the practical value of the course. “Fotojournalismul” with Nicolae Pojoga came next. After theoretical classes, the students practiced and produced their final projects at Coloniţa village. As part of the course they learned how to use editing programs and the ethical principles that should be respected in photography and about the captions that should accompany the pictures. During the course “Ethics and Diversity in Mass Media,” Nadine Gogu, IJC Director, acquainted the students with the Ethical Code of Journalists in Moldova and with other relevant documents concerning their professional deontology. During the course “Media Law,” lawyer Tatiana Puiu familiarized the students with the following concepts: freedom of expression, access to information, copyrights, and neighboring rights.

For the next two months the curricula included the following courses: “The Interview” taught by Vitalie Dogaru, talk show host at Publika TV and “Long Articles” with Alina Radu, director of the weekly Ziarul de Gardă. In the next three weeks the students learned how to write news items and radio reportage. Liliana Barbăroşie (Radio Free Europe) and Liliana Nicolae (Radio România Actualităţi) shared their theoretical and practical skills in producing news bulletins and afterwards, students applied them during the course “Radio News Room” with Vasile Botnaru (Radio Free Europe). According to the feedback from students, although the last week of the course “Radio Journalism” was the most difficult, it was the most productive one. They noted that they, “…understood how a real editorial office looked and how important team work was in this field.” This persuaded them to be more responsible and focus on their tasks.

The course “TV Journalism” was preceded by a required module in the basics of TV productions. From local trainer Dumitru Marian the students learned how to use the technical equipment and how the video camera and video editing software function. After that, the course followed the same plan as the course on radio journalism. Dorin Scobioală, main producer at Jurnal TV, and Petru Terguță, former reporter with TV 7, spoke to the students about the basic principles of TV news/reportage writing. Together with their trainers, the students practiced producing interviews and reportage and learned how to use the stand-up technique. In the third week they split into two teams, and under the guidance of Artur Corghencea, news director at ProTV Chișinău, they produced three news bulletins.

The first semester of 2013–2014 ended with the course “Journalism Online.” For two weeks the students developed their basic online skills. Liliana Barbăroșie taught news in online media, the photo gallery technique, and the differences among print, radio, and TV journalism. Tatiana Ețco, head of the IJC Advocacy and Production Department, taught them how to use multimedia tools online.

From October to December, the CSAJ students met twice a week (on Mondays and Fridays) with Cristina Mogâldea, head of the IJC Media Azi and Research Department, who taught style. Various aspects of Romanian grammar were also tackled during her classes. Students learned how to write correctly and analyzed errors in their work.
During this three-month period, the students also enjoyed weekly meetings with experts, professors, representatives of diplomatic missions in Moldova, and public figures from Moldova and from abroad. The presenters at the nine editions of the Discussion Club addressed the following topics: journalists` behavior in elections, gender equality, media reporting on European integration, and perspectives on broadcasting in Moldova.

A New Online Image

At the end of 2013, CSAJ launched a new version of its website. Dynamic and diverse in content, the website is dedicated to those interested in journalistic research, in CSAJ activities, and in the possibility to put acquired skills into practice. Via this online platform, visitors can learn about the project and the detailed descriptions of courses and trainers. Moreover, those interested can learn about admission conditions and the CSAJ schedule. Information about CSAJ activities can be found under the rubric “News” that includes invitees at the Discussion Club, students` participation in specialized training and conferences, and collaboration with professional journalists and media outlets in Moldova and abroad. This information is accompanied, as appropriate, by photo galleries, audio spots, and video clips produced by students. Moreover, new rubrics were created including “Success Stories” to report on the professional activities of CSAJ graduates. Both former and current CSAJ students share their opinions and experiences under the rubric “Impressions.”

Donors for the CSAJ are Free Press Unlimited of the Netherlands, the Embassy of Finland in Bucharest, and the National Endowment for Democracy.

TRAINING

Training journalists is one of the primary services provided by the IJC. Over the years, training programs have engaged the interest of the media and have united journalists from all over the country, including those from UTA Gagauz-Yeri and the Transnistrian region. In 2013, the IJC offered a varied range of programs in line with new trends in the media and with the needs of journalists.
 

Citizen Journalism

The first training program was conducted from 21 to 24 February 2013 and was dedicated to citizen journalism. The program was facilitated by experts Inna Dubinsky, officer at the Development Department of the International Broadcasting Bureau of the United States (US), and Bart Childs, Senior TV Production Specialist at the Voice of America. A total of 16 journalists and bloggers were provided with mobile phones with digital cameras and were taught to film and to edit video, fast methods of posting their material on social networks, more information about new media tools, and the practice of contemporary multimedia reportage. During training, the US experts explained citizen journalism and how to draw attention to challenges in society by using new information technologies. At the end of the program each participant produced a final project; the best were awarded prizes. For more on the projects produced during the program, please visit the Citizen Reporter Moldova page on Facebook.
 

The training program was organized as part of the project “Mass Media and the Judiciary: Developing Capability and Promoting Accountability” implemented by the IJC in partnership with The Broadcasting Board of Governors with financial support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Rule of Law Institutional Strengthening Program (ROLISP).

Data Journalism

Another training opportunity for the media was provided by the IJC in September and October when 20 journalists from different media outlets (Adevărul newspaper, Ziarul de Gardă newspaper, Capital-Market newspaper, Radio Moldova, and Publika TV) and civil society representatives attended a comprehensive program on data journalism. The program had two sessions (6 and 7 September and 18 and 19 October) and focused on practical activities to improve journalists` skills in using various databases to produce articles of public interest. The trainers were Paul Radu, Laura Ranca, and Daniel Bojin from the RISE Project România, an institution with a great deal of experience in data journalism. They taught participants about data-driven journalism, they analyzed various databases useful for the media, they provided techniques for investigating organized crime and corruption, and they emphasized the role of data journalism in preventing crimes.

The participants learned how to process and to visualize data in an article in order to produce the content needed to promote public interest and engagement. “I especially enjoyed the practical part and the possibilities to find associations between people and companies and criminal networks when the links between different interest groups become visible,” said Cornelia Cozonac, Director of the Investigative Journalism Center. After the two sessions, the participants produced subjects of public interest using publicly available data. “Such training is more than welcome given that open databases are not very well explored in Moldova. Here I had the opportunity to learn about web pages that provide access to important information and to acquire easy methods of documentation,” noted Raisa Răzmeriţă, journalist at Ziarul de Gardă.

In the framework of this project, the IJC monitored the posting of public government data in 2012 on the date.gov.md portal. The monitoring report was presented in a press conference on 3 July 2013 after which IJC launched an advocacy campaign in order to alert public institutions that had failed to post their data. The results of the campaign will be assessed in the next monitoring report due in 2014.

Monitoring the posting of public government data and the training in data journalism were organized in the framework of the project “Open Government for an Informed and Active Society” implemented by the IJC and Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT) from March 2013 to March 2014 with the financial support of the Soros-Foundation Moldova under the Good Governance Program

Media Reporting on Gender

IJC resumed its efforts to improve women`s images in the media in 2013 as part of a project involving journalists, civil society representatives, and university professors. The project started with an advocacy campaign that included visits to the journalism faculties of the European Studies University (USEM), the Moldova State University (USM), the Free International University (ULIM), and the Slavonic University. The university professors were informed about the aim of the project and how they could contribute to promoting gender equality in the media by developing a curriculum. Thus, on 22 and 23 November 2013, a group of professors from journalism faculties in Chişinău and Bălţi attended the workshop “Balanced Approach to Gender in Media.” The program trainer, Daniela Terzi-Barbarosie, helped participants by means of tests, practical exercises, and discussions to become aware of gender issues and to better understand the concepts of stereotypes, prejudice, sex, and gender.

Alexandru Bohantov, Professor in the Faculty of Journalism and Public Communication at ULIM, said that some of the most interesting moments of the workshop were the analyses of media products from a gender perspective and the examination of models of balanced approaches to this issue.  Mariana Tacu, professor at the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences at USM, said that she identified the factors that contribute to establishing certain perceptions regarding gender as well as the way colleagues from other universities understand this issue.

As a result of the first workshop, the participants formed teams that will begin developing several university curricula and a short program that will be presented and analyzed during the second workshop that will be organized by the IJC in early 2014.

The workshop was part of “Changing the Perception of Women in Moldovan Society through Media,” a project implemented by the IJC from September 2013 to September 2014 with the financial support of the Netherlands Embassy in Kiev through the MATRA Program. The project aims to promote and consolidate the image of women in society through mass media.

Assistance and Training for Media Outlets in the Transnistrian Region

Over the years, the IJC has committed itself to supporting the media in the Transnistrian region. Therefore as in previous years, in 2013 the IJC organized various training activities to consolidate the dialogue between journalists on both banks of Nistru River and to help the media in the region.

Blogging

From September 2012 to April 2013, 11 teams composed of teachers and pupils from the following schools in the Transnistrian region acquired knowledge in blogging; they established and administered personal and school blogs with the goal of raising the visibility of activities carried out by pupils and also to be closer to their communities. They participated in theoretical and practical courses on journalistic genres, writing text, and structuring rules for online media as well as on sources of information, the inverted pyramid, separating opinions and facts, and the preparatory stages of an interview.

• http://shkola.sukleia.ru (Sucleia)
• http://smmalaiesti.wordpress.com/ (Mălăieşti)
• http://schoolife15.wordpress.com/ (Bender)
• http://schoolternovka.wordpress.com/ (Târnauca)
• http://parcany1.wordpress.com/ (Parcani)
• http://rybgimnazia.wordpress.com/ (Râbniţa)
• http://school2best.wordpress.com/ (Dubăsari)
• http://lungaschool7.wordpress.com/ (Lunga)
• http://hrustovayashkola.wordpress.com/  (Hristovaia)
• http://benderyshkola20.wordpress.com/ (Gâsca)
• http://school6.hol.es (Râbniţa).

The training program was carried out in two stages in a total of 10 sessions. As a result, the participants achieved the following:

• Improved their computer and online skills;
• Perceived the utility and the efficiency of teamwork and learned about collaboration and brainstorming;
• Learned to express their opinions on a subject in a concise manner;
• Learned the basic principles of journalism;
• Promoted the image of youth and of schools in the Transnistrian region;
• Perceived that they could be actively involved in their communities, schools, and villages.

Young Transnistrian bloggers participated in the summer program “Blogs – an Instrument for the Promotion of Civic Participation” organized by the IJC on 1 and 2 July 2013 in which they learned about the experiences of professional journalists during five workshops and discussed online journalism, human rights, and access to information. The participants were given certificates of appreciation by Dirk Schuebel, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Moldova, and Nicola Harrington-Buhay, Permanent Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Moldova. For more information about the project, click here.

Training in Multimedia and Joint Projects

In November 2012 and February 2013, a group of 20 journalists from both banks of Nistru River participated in two training programs on the general rules for digital media with a focus on practical aspects in online journalism taught by Liliana Barbăroşie (Radio Free Europe) and Ludmila Bogheanu (School of Advanced Journalism).

As a result they achieved the following:

• Acquired text editing skills for online media;
• Learned how to accompany the text with audio and video elements and pictures;
• Shared their experiences with their colleagues and trainers;
• Established collaborations and relationships based on confidence.

Between March and May 2013, the 20 journalists from Bălţi, Chişinău, Ialoveni, Comrat, Tiraspol, Bender, Dubăsari, and Râbniţa broke into 10 pairs and jointly produced more than 20 multimedia projects. The results were posted on 19 websites and information portals on the right and left banks of the Nistru River. The journalists addressed subjects of common public interest such as stray dogs, dwellings for young families, poaching and the ecological status of the Nistru River, and the negative effects of improperly disposing of used batteries. The articles are available here.

The IJC experience reveals that such activities are very useful and encourage lasting relationships and collaborations between journalists on both sides of the river. Describing what he learned from these activities, Andrei Z., a freelance journalist from Tiraspol, said that although he worked hard, it had been a very interesting experience that would help him produce more material attractive to readers.Victoria Puiu said that it was a challenge for her to write articles jointly with a journalist from the left bank of Nistru and that these materials “united” them for a noble cause: “…to reveal common problems that can be solved only by the collaboration of all stakeholders on both banks of Nistru River.”

Needs Assessment

In 2013, IJC launched the first needs assessment of the Transnistrian media. The research diagnosed the problems faced by journalists and media outlets and identified the needs of the media in the region in addition to analyzing media legislation, the observance of professional ethics, and the statistical data available about the number of media organizations. It is a reference document to be used by donors and international organizations to devise adequate assistance programs for journalists and media outlets.

From 12 to16 November 2012, Petko Georgiev (media expert from Bulgaria), Ruslan Mihalevschi (Editor-in-Chief of SP in Bălţi) and Natalia Scurtul (freelancer from Tiraspol) hosted gatherings in Chişinău and Tiraspol for 26 journalists, editors, media experts, NGO professionals, and civil society representatives from Moldova. Based on the feedback of participants, on the content analysis of the media in the region, and on international reports and studies, the experts concluded, inter alia, the following.

• Transnistrian media and civil society need long-term assistance  to consolidate the principles of professional journalism with a focus on developing online journalism and on setting up NGOs to advocate for the freedom of expression.
• Ethics and professional deontology, pluralism of opinion, and sources are the domains to be covered by ongoing training programs for Transnistrian journalists that should improve their professionalism and the quality of the media content in the region.
• Transnistrian journalists and NGOs need the support of media organizations including legal assistance and programs for civil society capacity building.
• Online journalism is a field to be developed by training citizen journalists. It will enable the Transnistrian public to access alternative sources of information.

The main conclusions and recommendations of the study were presented at a public event on 6 June 2013 with the participation of 40 journalists, representatives of international organizations, and embassies.

The activities described above were organized as part of the project “Enhancing Media Capacity in Moldova with a Focus on the Transnistrian Region and Promoting Civic Participation among Young Journalists” implemented between July 2012 and July 2013 with financial support from the program "Support for Confidence Building Measures” funded by the European Union, co-funded and implemented by UNDP.
The overall objective of the program is to contribute to confidence building on both banks of the Nistru River by involving local authorities, civil society organizations, business communities, and other stakeholders as well as through ensuring the economic and social development of local communities.

Internship Program for Journalists from Transnistria and UTA Gagauz-Yeri

Another activity for journalists from the Transnistrian region is the internship program organized by the IJC. In November and December 2013, five interns from the region had a unique opportunity to learn quality journalism and how to write news and reportage from different perspectives. The journalists were hosted by the newspaper Panorama, the news website www.kommersant.md, and by the local bureau of Teleradio MIR. They worked elbow to elbow with TV professionals and journalists working for print and online press who shared their knowledge and specific techniques.

According to intern Maxim P., the internship offered him the opportunity to, “…perceive the nature of online media, to work in intense conditions, to analyze and to investigate the information flow received by the outlet, to add comments from different sources, and finally to publish complete articles.”

Vladimir Soloviov, Editor-in-Chief at Kommersant.md, said that the outlet was interested in collaborating with interns, although they still had much to learn. Anastasia I. noted that for her as a student, the internship was very productive. She learned about the peculiarities of TV news, participated in editing videos, and learned to write her thoughts in the concise and clear manner that news writing requires.

In January and February 2014, the IJC will launch the second phase of the internship program. Five journalists from UTA Gagauz-Yeri will work in Chişinău for 1–2 weeks with professionals in online media, TV, and print press.

The internship program was carried out in the framework of the project “Promoting the Rights of Minorities and Marginalized Groups in the Transnistrian and Gagauzian Regions through the Media” implemented by the IJC with the financial support of Civil Rights Defenders from Sweden.

MEDIA AZI AND RESEARCH

In 2013, the Media Azi and Research Department at the IJC resumed its activities after its reorganization. The Department simultaneously initiated two high-profile projects: the multifunctional web portal Media Azi and monitoring domestic press freedom in the context of the Eastern Partnership.

The first project is titled “Focus on Media: Freedom of Expression, Media Literacy and Accountability” and is being implemented from June 2013 to June 2014 with the support of the US Embassy in Moldova. The Media Azi web portal is the main product. In a single source, the portal gathers media news; interactive tools for media consumers such as petitions, declarations, and alerts; studies and monitoring reports; and also a platform of information about the IJC. The initial preparatory activities took several months in the spring of 2013, and the portal began its operations in late July. Since then, Media Azi has become the new “virtual identity” of the IJC and a reference website for journalists and the public alike with a high level of interaction with target groups on social networks (Facebook) and with an ongoing presence in analyzing domestic media.

The second project “Press Freedom Monitoring in the Eastern Partnership Countries” is being implemented from March 2013 to February 2015 by the IJC in partnership with five organizations from the Eastern Partnership countries with financial support from the European Union. In addition to the activities in the first project such as reporting on media events in Moldova and news distribution, the second project focuses on press freedom and publishes quarterly studies assessing media freedom and ranking the countries.

In terms of research, the IJC this year launched two studies on media freedom in the Eastern Partnership region according to which the Moldovan media was classified as only “partially free” despite the fact that our country held the second position and then reached the top of the ranking.

The relevance of this research for domestic media was confirmed by numerous quotations and references to the index and by the rapidity with which journalists and domestic media consumers as well as relevant international organizations declared it to be extremely important.

The Media Azi and Research Department issued the traditional bi-annual analytical journal Mass Media in Moldova. The June 2013 issue included articles about the vicious cycle of difficulties for rural people and access to information through open data in addition to captivating interviews with the editors-in-chief of the dynamic media outlets Adevărul and Kommersant.md.

The December 2013 issue focused on the new media and media self-regulation, in particular regulation of online journalism and the Internet and accountability for comments posted by users. In the same context there is a retrospective article on digitalization in Moldova that covers the latest evolution (or involution) in the field.

The magazine Mass media in Moldova has the financial support of Free Press Unlimited from the Netherlands.

MEDIA LAW AND POLICY

In 2013, the Department for Media Law and Policy (DMLP) conducted the following strategic activities:

• Analyzed media legislation and participated in developing proposals to improve current legislation;
• Offered free advice on problems concerning media legislation and representation in court for cases of public interest;
• Monitored developments in media legislation and published the results in legislative bulletins;
• Monitored violations of the freedom of expression and information;
• Organized conferences, seminars, and courses on media legislation;
• Collaborated with other nongovernment and with government organizations to implement legislation on access to information and freedom of expression.

These activities were possible due to the support of Civil Rights Defenders and Media Legal Defence Initiative in the framework of the project “Improving the Media Law Environment in Moldova” which ensures the continuity of the services provided by the DMLP and contributes to the consolidation of the media legal framework.

Legislative Bulletin

Since 2004, the IJC has published an electronic bulletin that contains a summary of laws and amendments to current laws and information about recent European Court for Human Rights decisions regarding access to information and freedom of expression. The goal of this bulletin is to keep journalists, media organizations, lawyers, and other interested persons informed about developments in the field. It is distributed by e-mail to over 180 subscribers in Romanian and Russian. The IJC produces and disseminates six bulletins per year. The issues are archived on the IJC website.

Legal Assistance

The DMLP offers free legal consultations for journalists and media organizations, for representatives of media outlets, or for other persons dealing with problems related to media legislation. Consultations are offered by e-mail, telephone, or in person. The most frequent requests refer to problems with the freedom of expression, access to information, advertising, copyrights, the right to privacy, and the legal status of publications. In 2012, the DMLP provided consultations to 22 petitioners and free representation in court in 3 cases and released 13 declarations on cases of violations of the rights of journalists.

The IJC provided legal representation in court in the following cases: Moldova Gaz v. Ziarului de Gardă, Străisteanu Gheorghe v. Ziarului de Gardă, Parmato Grup SRL v. Ziarului de Gardă.

Training

Public Relations and the Judiciary

From 26 February to 1 March 2013, the DMLP organized the training program “Public and Media Relations: Web Page Maintenance” for to the public relations officials of courts. The program was attended by 50 participants. The agenda was developed by national trainers Corina Cepoi and Vitalie Dogaru with assistance from Gheorghe Budeanu and Irina Lazur from the National Institute for Justice and also with the contributions of Lisa Ellis, international expert in communication. The goal of the program was to consolidate the participants` knowledge of public relations and collaboration with the media.

The subjects were the following: media types and genres, messages for the media and public discourse, written communication and types of interviews, and other important aspects of public relations. Moreover, the participants addressed the importance of online platforms for promoting their activities and were taught how to maintain a website. During training, participants found answers to their questions about the role of the media and the ways to build a proper dialogue with the media. The program had a practical aspect as well. The participants exercised their skills in writing press releases and in analyzing interviews and made public presentations and conducted simulated press conferences.

The training was conducted as part of the program “Mass Media and the Judiciary: Developing Capability and Promoting Accountability” implemented by the IJC in partnership with The Broadcasting Board of Governors with financial support from USAID’s ROLISP. The program aims to improve relations between mass media and the judiciary by developing the capabilities of the latter and by promoting accountability.

Access to Information

Another training program was organized by the IJC on 25 October 2013 for 15 journalists with a focus on defamation and the legislation on access to information. The agenda included theoretical aspects such as the relevant laws to be respected by professional journalists in their work as well as practical aspects such as case studies. Furthermore, the participants learned to separate facts and value judgments and to practice journalism within the law.

Media Ownership

The IJC continued its efforts to improve the legal framework for ensuring the transparency of media ownership in Moldova. Following the presentation on 20 November 2012 of the comparative study on the law and practice in media transparency, IJC experts developed proposals to amend the Broadcasting Code with provisions concerning transparency. To better understand the positive impact of the proposal, the IJC conducted an advocacy campaign that consisted of a round table and a workshop with representatives of the special parliamentary committee, the Broadcast Coordinating Council, media NGOs and other stakeholders. The campaign contributed to a better understanding of the amendments. The final proposal was publicly debated at the roundtable “Ensuring the Transparency of Media Ownership by Amending the Broadcasting Code” organized on 26 April 2013.

The workshop “Ensuring Media Ownership Transparency Step by Step” was held on 14 June 2013 in order to collect the final comments and opinions from media organizations, journalists, and regulatory authorities on the proposal to improve the transparency of media ownership. The goal of the workshop was to inform stakeholders and beneficiaries about modifications to the legislation and how they would affect them so that they would comply with and use the new regulations in their professional work. Moreover, in order to raise the awareness of the public about the importance of ensuring the transparency of media ownership, the IJC produced a video spot that was broadcast by a number of TV stations with regional and national coverage. The proposal was registered as a legislative initiative by a group of deputies and is subject to examination by Parliament. Once approved, the proposal will ensure transparency of media ownership it will lead to less concentrated media ownership, and it will improve pluralism of opinion.

The activities described above were conducted in the framework of the project “Improving the Media Law Environment in Moldova” implemented by the IJC with financial support from the National Endowment for Democracy. The project was implemented between July 2012 and June 2013 and aimed to improve the legislative framework in the Republic of Moldova in order to ensure pluralism and to avoid media concentration.

ADVOCACY AND PRODUCTION

In 2013, the Advocacy and Production Department (APD) produced 21 videos 7 of which concerned various aspects and problems in the work of journalists such as solidarity, conflicts regarding ethics, public confidence in journalists, access to information of public interest, media ownership, and freedom of expression. Many of the videos were broadcast by a number of TV stations including local ones and were distributed via the Internet and posted on the IJC webpage. The items were produced under the auspices of the project “Strengthening the Advocacy Capacity of the IJC by Producing Multimedia Content” funded by Free Press Unlimited from the Netherlands.

Paid Products

A total of 10 video products were delivered on a contractual basis: 5 were ordered by the Association “Femeia și copilul – protecţie şi sprijin” in Criuleni; 3 were human-interest stories about employment possibilities for disabled persons; and 2 were reportage about the inclusive practices at kindergartens in Leova and Edineţ. A radio spot with a nondiscrimination massage was also produced at the request of the Human Rights Information Center. Another achievement of the APD was the video collage shown during the 2013 Human Rights Gala and Awards Ceremony organized by the United Nations which described the main activities and successes in human rights in Moldova.

A spot and a documentary film about paralegal work were produced for the Soros Foundation in Moldova. Both products were presented at the launch of the website parajurist.md. In addition, an anti-manipulation spot was produced for the Independent Press Association.

Initiatives

The IJC produced two promotional spots for SAJ recruitment campaigns for the academic year 2013–2014: one featured Ilieş Mălăieş, a character from a popular tale on the road to SAJ, and the other informed future students about SAJ by means of interviews with trainers and graduates who presented the advantages of studying there.

The IJC production team also made the traditional video collage for the Annual Press Club Gala “The top 10 journalists of the year.” It presents a retrospective of the year from the standpoint of the most important events that took place in the country and the work of journalists.

At the end of the year, IJC produced a video for the portal egali.md where some of the IJC staff posted tolerance messages. Most IJC products are available on the IJC webpage under the rubric Advocacy.

2013 BRANDED EVENTS

Year after year along with other media organizations, the IJC traditionally launches and celebrates Press Freedom Days. This year, the campaign Press Freedom Days 2013 started on 3 May. In a meeting with the leadership of the Parliamentary Committee for Culture, Education, Research, Youth, Sport and Mass Media, the IJC and the Independent Press Association presented the Memorandum on the freedom of the Press in Moldova signed by six media NGOs. It described the freedom of the press as stagnating in the past year and even regressing in some aspects. The media continued to face habitual challenges: legislative deficiencies that hamper the development and the financial viability of most media outlets; pressure and intimidation from politicians; rather difficult access to information of public interest; lack of transparency in media ownership; the delay in reforming the public broadcaster; and a low level of professionalism.

On 8 May, IJC organized a debate on manipulation via mass media with the participation of print and broadcast journalists. Another activity carried out in the framework of the Press Freedom Days was the information campaign “Do you know what kind of media you consume?” that included broadcasting informative spots on local and online TV networks.

IJC Caravan

In September 2013 the IJC launched the caravan. Between 30 October and 16 November about 200 students from the journalism faculties of USM, USEM, and ULIM participated in a number of meetings with IJC representatives. Manipulation, ethics, sensationalism vs. ratings, media independence in Moldova, and journalistic solidarity were the subjects debated by participants.

Annual Press Club

Traditionally at the end of each year, IJC gathers journalists from Chişinău and from other regions of the country at the Annual Press Club Gala during which the top 10 journalists of the year are awarded. In 2013, gala XIX was celebrated on 19 December.

Победителями стали журналисты:
Traditionally at the end of each year, IJC gathers journalists from Chişinău and from other regions of the country at the Annual Press Club Gala during which the top 10 journalists of the year are awarded. In 2013, gala XIX was celebrated on 19 December.
 
The top 10 journalists of 2013 were:
Mariana Raţă, Ziarul Naţional;
Iurie Sănduţă,  Ziarul de Gardă;
Marina Bzovaia, SP (Bălţi);
Alla Ceapai, Radio Free Europe;
Anastasia Nani, Adevărul Moldova;
Eugen Şolari, kommersant.md;
Lilia Zaharia, special reporter IPA;
Igor Vrabie, UNIMEDIA ;
Sorina Obreja, PRO TV;
Cristina Bruma, Evenimentul Zilei.
 
They were chosen based on the results of a contest launched by the IJC on 17 September 2013 and on nominations from civil society. All material submitted was analyzed by the IJC Senate which selected the winners.
 
The following four special prizes were also awarded at the gala:
 
Award for the promotion of the freedom of expression: Человек и его права from Tiraspol, Nicolai Buceaţchi, editor-in-chief
Hope of the Year: Ina Landa, Expresul, and Tamara Grejdeanu, Radio Free Europe;
Award for Quality Debate: the talk show “Politica”;
Award for Reporting on the Transnistrian theme: Oxana Greadcenco, moldova.org portal.
 
A photo gallery is available here.

The Annual Press Club Gala was supported financially by the Free Press Unlimited of the Netherlands and by the OSCE Mission to Moldova.
The overall partner for the event was SJC Moldova-Agroindbank.

RESOURCE CENTER

The IJC manages a resource center that consists of a library and a database accessible to journalists and media organizations. In 2013, the IJC provided access to 4,000 book titles in Romanian, English, French, Russian, and German that covered, inter alia, the following domains: print press, radio, TV, management, public relations, media law, and dictionaries. The library was visited by journalists and journalism students and provided access to those interested in reports, assessments, laws, and other documents concerning the media in Moldova and abroad. In 2013 the IJC also donated books on various events. The resource center subscribes to the main periodicals in Moldova (over 50) in both Romanian and Russian.

PRIORITIES FOR 2014

In 2014, the IJC will continue:
 
To conduct:

• Short-term training activities for mass media outlets including conferences, debates, and consultations;
• Advocacy campaigns;
• The postgraduate School of Advanced Journalism;
• The Press Freedom Days campaign;
• The top 10 journalists of the year award gala;

 
To edit:

• The journal Mass Media in Moldova (in Romanian, Russian, and English);
• The media legislation bulletin (in Romanian and Russian);
• The annual report on freedom of expression in Moldova (in Romanian, Russian, and English);

 
To monitor:

• The legislation and legislative developments on the freedom of expression and information and to participate in writing proposals to improve the current legislation;
• Cases of violations of the freedom of expression and information.

 
To provide:

• (Free) access to the Resource Center;
• Free legal assistance (including representation in court) on issues dealing with media legislation, freedom of expression, and the rights of journalists.

International Affiliations
Since February 2000, the IJC has been a member of the South East European Network for Professionalization of the Media (SEENPM) and since June 2001 has been a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX).

SEENPM
The IJC is the only organization in Moldova included in SEENPM which unites 17 media centers and organizations in 11 countries. Founded in February 2000, the network provides training courses for journalists and media trainers. Between 2002 and 2004, the IJC was a member of the SEENPM Coordinating Council.

IFEX
In June 2001, the IJC became a member of IFEX, an international network uniting over 80 organizations whose main goal is to monitor the freedom of expression. The best-known product of the network is the electronic bulletin “Action Alert” which monitors violations of the right to the freedom of expression in the regions represented by member organizations. The bulletin is distributed to an important number of interested institutions and groups all over the world. The IJC is a member of the IFEX Council from 2013 to 2015.

FOUNDERS ASSEMBLY

Angela Sîrbu
Corina Cepoi
Alexandru Canţîr
Nicolae Negru
 
Senate:
 
Alexandru Canţîr, IMEDIA
Ludmila Andronic, Press Council
Petru Macovei, Independent Press Association
Daniela Terzi-Barbăroşie, media expert
Vladimir Soloviev, Kommersnat.md

THE TEAM

Nadine Gogu	Director	ngoguATijcdotmd
Liliana Viţu-Eşanu	Strategic Development Director	lvituATijcdotmd
Irina Gotişan	Strategic Development Officer	igotisanATijcdotmd
Corina Cepoi	Director of the School of Advanced Journalism	ccepoiATijcdotmd
Ludmila Bogheanu	Coordinator for the School of Advanced Journalism	lbogheanuATijcdotmd
Iulia Buzenco	Assistant Coordinator for the School of Advanced Journalism	iulia.buzenco@gmail.com
Victor Gotişan	Consultant for the School of Advanced Journalism	consultantATijcdotmd
Elena Candu	Coordinator of the Legal Department	mluATijcdotmd
Oleg Postovanu	Head of the Legal Department	mluATijcdotmd
Zinaida Gheaţă	Assistant of the Legal Department
Ina Grejdeanu	Head of the Training and Communication Department	igrejdeanuATijcdotmd
Cristina Bobârca	Program Coordinator of the Training and Communication Department	coordonatorATijcdotmd
Cristina Mogâldea	Head of the Media Azi and Research Department	monitorizareATijcdotmd
Ioana Burtea	Content Manager and Editor of the portal www.media-azi.md	reporterATijcdotmd
Vasile Gancev	eporter for www.media-azi.md	reporterATijcdotmd
Tatiana Eţco	Head of the Campaign and Production Department	advocacyATijcdotmd
Valentina Maior	producer for the Campaign and Production Department	producătorATijcdotmd
Denis Rusu	cameraman/image editor
Angela Maximenco	Chief Accountant	accountantATijcdotmd
Tamara Camerzan	Accountant	contabilATijcdotmd
Emil Stoianov	Technical Resource Center	dbaseATijcdotmd
Boris Şosev/Cornel Ţîra	Administrator/Driver

* replace „AT” with „@” and „DOT” with „.”
 
Volunteers:

Jenifer Austry,
Guillermo Pedrosa,
Ruth Simister,
Robin Koskas,
Isabel Pastor Fernández.