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"This event aims at reminding once again the authorities, the leadership that, since they have taken up public office functions they need to be more tolerant towards the media, to accept a greater degree of criticism from the media, as the press has the right and obligation to report government activities, including in a critical manner", said Nadine Gogu, IJC director, in her address to the flash-mob participants.
The Roll of Shame includes the people listed as Enemies of Press in the column published daily on the IJC's Media Azi Portal. Among these are: the Parliament's leadership, who have not solved the problem of limiting access of journalists to the plenary meetings of Parliament, the lawmakers who have put forward bills that, if adopted, may limit the freedom of press; the MP who has allowed for a person accompanying him to attack a journalist etc. Although their "merits" have been reported by national media in due time, the Roll of Shame was meant by the organizers to draw the attention of the leadership that the free press operates in line with European standards and values, which should also be complied with by top officials rather than only by the press.
"We, the civil society, have monitored so far and will continue monitoring what is going on, and whenever officials will try to limit press freedom making use of their official position and decision making power, we will respond", said Nadine Gogu. In addition, the IJC director urged journalists to report when faced with cases of aggression or abuse by authorities, stating that the Roll of Shame "Enemies of Press" is not a one-off event. "Next year we will prepare a new Roll of Shame, to be revealed during the Press Freedom Days. I sincerely hope that next year it will be smaller and will include fewer names. I hope that it will teach the authorities a lesson", told Nadine Gogu to the journalists.
One of the flash-mob participants was Catalina Rosca, the Jurnal TV reporter that was assaulted by one of the bodyguards of MP Constantin Tutu in March, while doing her job. "I did not blame Constantin Tutu, I was just trying, as a journalist, to ask a question, to find out his opinion about the lawsuit in which he was the defendant", remembered she about that event. The resolution of the incident is still pending. Catalina is waiting for the decision of Orhei Police Inspectorate, which is in charge of investigating the case. As a young reporter, she claims that journalists are not always treated kindly and seriously by officials. "Top officials in this country often run away from questions, they treat journalists as small kids – trying to hide something, to joke, to say something that would confuse them; most often they just try to shut the reporters up, so that they leave them alone", she believes.
Another participant in the event organized by IJC, Andrei Mardari, photojournalist employed by Moldpres, with accreditation to Parliament, said that it was a problem for him that he had no access to the plenary sesssittings of Parliament. "I try to perform as a professional, but it is quite hard, as I only get access to the plenary sittings in Parliament for 10-15 minutes. We are always told that access is denied, that we are not allowed to tread there, and so on. I know what I have to do and it would be easy if I were allowed / had free access, so that I capture with my camera what I can see myself", told us Andrei Mardari.
The event was attended by journalists, students, people who care about the values of free press.
The organizers have also brought back on the agenda the Petition on the access of journalists to plenary sittings of Parliament that was sent to Parliament a year ago and has not been reviewed so far. Among other things, the signatories of the Petition remind the lawmakers that they are in the service of the people and are paid from public funds, and the people are entitled to know what the elected MPs do in Parliament.
The Petition can be signed at CIJ headquarters (Chisinau, 53 Sciusev Street) or online.
See the Roll of Shame HERE
Photo Source: Media Azi
