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Media NGOs’ Appeal to Election Candidates, their Sympathizers and Journalists

18 February 2019
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Media non-governmental organizations urge all electoral candidates registered for the parliamentary elections of 24 February this year, as well as their supporters, to demonstrate respectful attitude towards journalists and media outlets and not to abuse media representatives.

This call is caused by the fact that we observe cases of journalists’ intimidation by a number of media outlets.

Sergiu Mocanu – head of the ‘Antimafie’ People’s Movement, has verbally assaulted Unimedia.info journalists in his Facebook post. The latter published an article about the politician’s assets reported to the Central Electoral Commission. 
In late January, the supporters of ‘Sor’ Political Party present at an electoral meeting expressed their dissatisfaction with the presence of a team of Nordnews.md portal journalists from Balti, attacking them verbally. The reporters were covering the subject of election gifts. 

According to Prime.md, in mid-February, during a press conference held by representatives of the ‘ACUM – DA Platform and PAS’ Electoral Bloc, the candidate Andrei Nastase took the microphone of Prime TV off the desk. Bloc members accused the outlet’s editor-in-chief Ana Butnariuc of asking ‘brazen’ questions and of coming to ‘destroy’ the conference.

In this context, we ask all candidates involved in the electoral race and their supporters to demonstrate a respectful attitude towards journalists and media outlets.

Remember that each citizen who disagrees with the way in which journalists do their job, has the right to inform the Press Council and the Broadcasting Council (as appropriate) – the institutions that will look into the notified cases and take the required measures.

We also call on mass-media representatives to do their job in the spirit of professional fairness and not to engage in campaigns meant to promote politicians, and to follow the Code of Ethics for Moldovan journalists as well as the legal provisions. We remind that the press must manifest irreproachable conduct and impartially and objectively cover the events it participates in.

Independent Journalism Center
Association of Independent Press
Association of Electronic Press
Center for Investigative Journalism
Press Freedom Committee 
Association of Independent TV Journalists 
‘Access-info’ Center