The “Sheep Fold” Was Mounted Again in front of Parliament on Wednesday

As promised last week, the staff of the Center for Independent Journalism came again on Wednesday, February 18, to Parliament, to remind the MPs that accredited journalists cannot work properly if they are denied access to the Parliament meetings. The "Sheep Fold" built by the organizers of the event is a symbol of the nook provided to the press by the MPs and of media censorship imposed on them, as journalists are fed only the information that would make the MPs look good in the media.
 
Asked by Media-azi news agency, Irina Ursu, a journalist accredited to Parliament by the IPN News Agency, welcomed the protest by IJC. "The conditions in the nook provided to us now in Parliament are just unbearable", said Irina Ursu. "In fact, it is censorship indeed, because media representatives have no access to what is happening at Parliament meetings and thus cannot work properly", she said. According to the IPN journalist, an urgent resolution of the issue of restricting media access to plenary sessions is needed; it is not only the opinion of journalists, but also of the people.

Among those who came to express their disapproval of the way accredited journalists are treated was Vasile Fotescu, a University lecturer. "I came to support you, because the people need comprehensive coverage of events in Parliament. We have every right to require that MPs are open both with us and journalists. The media should inform us objectively; you are entitled to record what happens in Parliament – It is the place where big politics game is played, laws are discussed and important decisions are made. Keeping you crammed in a nook and serving you only selected bits of information is just plain wrong. We want free press; I voted for the current MPs to get this", said Professor Vasile Fotescu. "Stop lying to people on TV!, said an older slogan used so many times during protests against the Communist government. It is too bad that it stays true today, too, and media propaganda by media owners continues", he added.

The awareness raising event "The fold is for sheep, not for us!" is part of an extensive advocacy campaign launched by the IJC in February, to ensure free access of the media to Parliament sessions.

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The article was published within the Advocacy Campaigns Aimed at Improving Transparency of Media Ownership, Access to Information and promotion of EU values  and integration project, implemented by the IJC, which is, in its turn, part of the Moldova Partnerships for Sustainable Civil Society project, implemented by FHI 360.
This article is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The content are the responsibility of author and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.