Press between Power, Moguls and Deontology

At the current forum, journalists tried to answer a very easy question: why does the allegedly European power behave so defiantly towards a key area for any democracy? In my opinion, Moldovan politicians are expecting journalists to praise them, to turn them into heroes of the many in search of social justice. Their desire to be publicly presented not the way they actually are, generates contempt and aversion to profession they cannot fully master.
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Owners, Editorial Policies and Code of Ethics  

During the Soviet occupation, and more recently during Voronin's dictatorship, media outlets linked to power were known to have blacklists containing concrete names, prohibiting the presence of undesirables on radio and TV programs or on print media. The origin and authors of the list were of great mystery for ordinary journalists, but not for their top bosses, subservient to totalitarian regimes. Assumptions without evidence made people even more vulnerable and defenceless. The hidden lists existed, however, as did their authors. The current situation with the owners and editorial policies in Moldovan media is similar. Even if some moguls and owners had to step out of the shadows, they have the exceptional ability to wipe out the evidence of their doing and dictating the editorial lines instead of the journalists. Any objective analysis of the information provided by media holdings, of journalistic messages and products broadcast on one channel or another proves the existence of a single center that sets out the thematic guiding lines, subjects and topics for debate, names of the so-called political analysts and experts, manipulates and guides public opinion towards the set objectives etc.
Set by whom? What is this center hidden under different names, and who does it consist of? Most journalists in the holding do not ask such questions out of fear of unemployment, and perform the editorial tasks, coming from somewhere and from someone. One can tell how tasks are performed judging by the quality of editorial products. One thing is certain, however: this ideological or party-related center has nothing in to do with the Code of Ethics and the journalistic profession. Until the evidence comes to a republic without justice and clear laws, editorial policies will continue to be made by the owners of media holdings and performed by mercenaries. Audiovisual institutions are the tools of such disguised centers, with the mission of hiding and legitimizing the abuses of politicians, oligarchs and owners against free media and honest journalists. That is why we are stating at this year’s Mass Media Forum that we need a law, prohibiting and punishing the interference of media holding owners in the editorial policies and creative activities of journalists.

Profession
 
Overall, disproportionately, the profession struggles among power, moguls and deontology. It would be wrong to expect any government to seriously embark on investing and forming a strong, free and independent journalistic profession. The actual political model itself, built on money acquired with the help of corruption and thievery, on a crooked electoral code and on private parties, is incompatible with independent media. The self-righteous statements of support for free press, being declared by some corrupt politicians from time to time, are meant to lull the profession’s vigilance and keep it in exhausting and faulty expectations. Minor interventions in legislation or regulatory media structures are merely superficial, and they cannot reform the system and change the habits of decision-makers. In order to develop and become a power relevant for the profession, we need a critical insight into it, an accurate assessment of the human resources in the field, models of organization that would ensure the rights of a journalist in the performance of his/her job duties and enhance the prestige of the profession. Values ​​and professional ethics, deontology, the correctness and responsibility towards journalistic product must be properly appreciated. And last but not least, we need to learn to be united, to appreciate each other and to learn the art of journalistic solidarity. Let us try to strengthen our profession from the ethical point of view, fortify it and not allow corrupt millionaires to compromise our field. This way we would give a good example to young people, at least to those who want to make a fair name in national journalism.  
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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.