IJC Launches a New Project: Free Press, Informed Citizens!

The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) releases a documentary about the media campaigns conducted in recent years by the IJC and other non-governmental organizations in order to improve the working conditions of journalists and media outlets in Moldova: “We Want Access to the Parliament,” “For Order and Transparency in the Press,” “Better Law for Journalists, Better Informed Citizens,” etc.

The “For Order and Transparency in the Press” campaign was aimed at improving the legal framework referring to transparency of media ownership. Thus, on March 5, 2015, the draft law on modifying and supplementing the Broadcasting Code of Moldova, drafted by the IJC, which included provisions concerning the transparency of media ownership, was approved by MPs. The IJC actively promoted the need for a law on transparency of media ownership.

As part of the “Media Campaign Against False and Tendentious Information STOP FALS!”, the IJC, together with other two media organizations (Association of Independent Press and Association of Independent TV Journalists), conducts activities aimed at combating use of manipulative and false content in news and press articles. The goal of the campaign was to fight propaganda and manipulation in the media, as well as to develop the critical thinking of media consumers in Moldova.

The “Better Law for Journalists, Better Informed Citizens!” campaign aims to improve the legislation on access to information. It should be reminded that the IJC sent to the Parliament, the Presidential Administration, and the Government a set of proposals on modifying Law no. 982-XIV of May 11, 2000 on access to information (articles 15 and 16) and the Contravention Code of Moldova no. 218-XVI of October 24, 2008 (article 71). Amendments to the Contravention Code entered into force in March 2017, and those to the Law on Access to Information were adopted only in first reading in July 2016 and are expected to be voted on in second reading.

The “Want Access into the Parliament” campaign, launched by the IJC and supported by a number of media organizations and media outlets, aimed at solving the problem of free access of the media to plenary meetings. In addition, over the two years of the campaign, the IJC organized protests in front of the Parliament building on the days of plenary meetings, every time setting up a fence, the “press corral,” as a symbol of restriction of access to information. Since April 14, 2016, cameramen and journalists have had free access to the plenary meetings of the Parliament.

The documentary was created 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 with the support of the “Moldova Partnerships for Sustainable Civil Society” (MPSCS) program, implemented by FHI 360 and funded by the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID).