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Journalists' crisis cell calls on Ministry of Health to resume online press conferences

12 October 2020
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The journalists’ crisis cell, set up by the Independent Journalism Center in order to promote the transparency and the access to information during the pandemic crisis, calls on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection (MHLSP) to meet its public commitment towards the media.

We remind that on 20 April 2020, following the call made by the journalists’ crisis cell, the Ministry's press service announced that the MHLSP would hold online press conferences with direct answers to journalists' questions in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

At the same time, we would like to point out that starting with 2 September 2020 and until now, the MHLSP did not organise such events, thus limiting significantly the possibilities of journalists to ask questions about problems of major interest for the society.

Given the severe impact of the pandemic crisis on the population of the Republic of Moldova, the MHLSP, as a central specialised body of the public administration, which ensures the implementation of the state policy in the health sector, should place high priority on the correct, complete and prompt information of the citizens, including by organising and conducting press conferences.

On the basis of the Article 34 of the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova and of the Law on the Access to Information, the Independent Journalism Center, on behalf of various media outlets and journalists, urges the MHLSP to resume the conduct of weekly online press conferences, with the participation of media representatives.

Realizing the importance of the journalists’ mission in informing the citizens about problems of public interest, through the accurate and impartial presentation of the facts, we express the hope that the information provided in these press conferences will serve the citizens’ interest and will help minimize the impact of the crisis generated by Covid-19 and support the MHLSP in its efforts to act transparently and to observe the right of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova to information.
 

Independent Journalism Center
Environment and Ecotourism Journalists’ Association
Association of Electronic Press
Association of Independent Press
Association of Independent TV Journalists 
‘Access-Info’ Center
Center for Investigative Journalism
AGORA
Jurnal TV
Moldova.org
NewsMaker
Pro TV
‘CU SENS’ Media Project
TV8