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July 2019

Monthly Bulletin, July 2019

Media News

Media NGOs Demand Immediate and Unconditional End to Restricting Media from Attending Local Public Administration Meetings

Media NGOs expressed their concern about the decision of the new acting Mayor, Adrian Talmaci, to prohibit the media’s presence at the working meetings of the Chisinau Mayor’s Office. The Office’s spokesperson announced that journalists wouldn’t have access to the working meetings and that they would be informed about the discussions via press releases or requests for information. Media NGOs qualified such decisions as abusive, given that the working meetings feature topics of public interest that concern the capital city’s inhabitants directly. Eight organizations, including the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), the Association of Independent Press and the Association of Electronic Press, urged the Municipal Council of the Chisinau Mayor’s Office and the Congress of Local Authorities to take action to immediately and unconditionally resolve the issue. On Thursday, July 24, following a protest organized by civil society in front of Chisinau City Hall, the interim mayor declared that the meetings of the Mayor’s Office would be open to media and invited journalists to the next meeting.

Minister of Internal Affairs Wants to Restrict a Journalist’s Access to MIA Events: Media NGOs Take a Stand

The new Minister of the Internal Affairs, Andrei Nastase, asked his subordinates to restrict the access of journalist Vadim Ungureanu to the press conferences of the General Police Inspectorate (GPI), on the grounds that the journalist was currently the subject of a criminal investigation. The statement was made during a press briefing held at GPI headquarters on Sunday, July 14, when several journalists, including Vadim Ungureanu, asked the Minister questions that he refused to answer. In a declaration published on Monday, July 15, four media NGOs – the IJC, the Association of Electronic Press, the Association of Independent TV Journalists and the Access-Info Center – criticized this request, noting that according to law, an individual charged with committing a crime shall be presumed innocent until his/her guilt is confirmed by a final conviction. The declaration signatories asked the Minister to ensure equal and free access to all media representatives to the events organized by MIA.

Studios of Plahotniuc-Affiliated TV Broadcasters Were Covered Up

According to RISE Moldova, a number of properties registered to Finpar Invest, a company affiliated with the Head of the Democratic Party, Vladimir Plahotniuc, were covered up by investigators in a criminal case initiated for money laundering. These properties include Finpar’s studios where Prime TV, Publika TV, Canal 2 and Canal 3 television broadcasters and Publika FM and MUZ FM radio stations are located. Investigations on this case are underway by the National Anti-Corruption Center (NAC) and the Agency for the Recovery of Criminal Assets (ARCA). Prime TV and Publika TV officially belong to Vlad Plahotniuc, while Canal 2 and Canal 3 are owned by his political advisor Oleg Cristal. Cristal refused to comment on the case, saying that it “involves the buildings owned by the Finpar company, and the TV companies are just renting these studios.” Cristal added that the TV channels are continuing to operate normally.

 
 

Parliamentary Committee for Mass-Media Rejected the 2018 BC Activity Report

 

During hearings on July 3, the Parliamentary Committee for Mass-Media rejected the 2018 Broadcasting Council (BC) Activity Report. MPs objected to the way the BC monitored the election campaigns, selected the TV audience measurement company, failed to digitalize the broadcasting space, etc. MP Maria Ciobanu (of the ACUM Bloc) drew the attention of BC members to the fact that the public broadcaster Moldova 1 was characterized by a “fierce censure,” and that the opposition was not covered enough in public broadcasting. Her colleague, ACUM Bloc MP Octavian Ticu, stated that the BC acted as a “truncheon for the opposition” during the reporting period, highlighting the BC’s decisions to sanction Jurnal TV and delay licensing the TV8 channel, as well as its failure to react to fake and manipulative news. For these reasons Ticu requested the dismissal of all BC members.

MPs Called for Teleradio-Moldova Management and SB Chair Resignation

At a July 10 hearing, the Parliamentary Committee for Mass-media judged the activity of the Teleradio-Moldova Public Company Supervisory Board (SB) to be ineffective. MPs called for the dismissal of Teleradio-Moldova Chair, Olga Bordeianu, Moldova 1 Director, Ecaterina Stratan, and SB Chair, Nicolae Spataru. Committee members stated that Olga Bordeianu and Ecaterina Stratan ineffectively managed public money and turned the public station into a party-affiliated channel. Chair of the Supervisory Board, Nicolae Spataru, was accused of failing to react promptly to these violations. The MPs were also unhappy with the way Moldova 1 covered the political events of June 8-9 in Moldova. Following the hearings of the Parliamentary Commission, the management of Teleradio-Moldova published a public statement saying that Moldova 1 has become the “target of a denigration campaign” and that the governing parties want to establish “political control” over this broadcaster.

Prime Minister Maia Sandu Has Requested the BC Members to Resign

On 29 July, at the beginning of the public meeting of the Broadcasting Council, the Prime Minister Maia Sandu came with a public request to BC members, urging them to resign. The request was justified by pointing to the BC members’ lack of any action to improve the state of the media. Maia Sandu said that most of the BC members had neither counteracted the media manipulation, nor responded to the information about the non-transparent financing of some media institutions. The BC Chairman Dragos Vicol tried to explain the situation, but the Prime Minister replied that there was no need for explanations, but for actions from the BC members, which had not been taken in due time.

Plahotniuc in the Kroll 2 Report: Media Companies Included in the List of Beneficiaries of the ‘Stolen Billion’

The leader of “Partidul Nostru,” Renato Usatii, published parts two and three of the Kroll Report on social media, which also include a list of companies that would have benefited from the stolen billion. Some of these media outlets are OTIV Prime Holding, Prime Management SRL, ICS Prime TV and others, that are connected to Vlad Plahotniuc. OTIV Prime Holding BV included five companies, including Prime Media. Prime Management Company, which managed Plahotniuc’s affiliated TV channels, was established in 2010 and was included in Plahotniuc’s declarations of property for 2010-2014. Besides Vladimir Plahotniuc, former Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu was the co-owner of Prime Management.

An MP Requested an Investigation on an Alleged Cartel Agreement on the Advertising Market

MP Radu Marian, of the ACUM Bloc, announced on his Facebook page that he submitted a number of requests to the Competition Council (CC) to investigate anti-competitive practices. One request related to an alleged cartel agreement on the Moldovan advertising market. Marian requested that the CC launch an investigation of anti-competitive practices in the media advertising field, and to announce its results including the application of any sanctions. Note that four TV stations – PRO TV Chisinau, RTR-Moldova, Jurnal TV and TV 8 – lodged a complaint to the CC on January 19, 2018, in which they accused Casa Media and the Exclusive Sales House of concluding a cartel agreement. Since then, the complaint is still under investigation by the CC.

Scandal in Floresti: Mayor Blocked the Door of Flor TV’s Office, and the TV Channel’s Management Complained to the Police and Prosecutor’s Office

On July 12, the Mayor of Floresti Valeriu Ceapa ordered to change the locks at the entrance of Flor TV, located in the Mayor Office’s building. He claimed that the media outlet owed debts to the Mayor’s Office and that he no longer wished to extend the leasing contract with Flor TV. Flor TV filmed and published the incident on social media. When contacted by IJC, Director of Flor TV Valeriu Postolachi told us that he filed a complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office and police, and was waiting for their decision. According to Postolachi, the Mayor’s decision not to extend the contract with Flor TV was not solely due to the alleged debts. The Mayor was rebuked several times for attempting to interfere with the TV Channel’s activity and was warned not to influence reporting. Mayor Ceapa responded by claiming that he didn’t interfere with the editorial policy, but only asked the TV Channel to provide more coverage on pavement repairs, since he was paying the Channel for various services.

GRT Public Regional Company Staff is Still Without Salaries

On July 8, the editorial office of the Comrat Public TV and Radio Company (GRT) announced that it had been working for two months without compensation. Vitali Gaidarji, GRT Acting Director, said that Gagauzia Executive Committee was to blame. According to him, the last time the Committee transferred money was in May. He added that he is currently waiting for an answer from the Financial Department to take the case to the Court to demand the outstanding funds. The staff of GRT also called for the People’s Assembly (PA), as the founder of GRT, to solve the issue of salary arrears. PA Chair, Vladimir Kissa, directed this request to the specialized Committee, which will review the issue in future meetings.

Three Members of GRT Supervisory Board Resigned after the Election in ATU Gagauzia

Three members of the Supervisory Board (SB) of GRT resigned, according to the region’s news portal, nokta.md. Municipal Councilor Petr Vlah published the resignation letters of SB members Iurie Osevatiuk and Andrei Romanov on his Facebook page. Earlier, another Comrat news portal, gagauzinfo.md, wrote about the resignation of the SB member, Nikolai Slavutki. The election for the position of Bashkan took place in the Autonomous Territorial Unit Gagauzia on June 30, 2019. Most of the local residents voted for Irina Vlah, who is on her second term. Previously, she asked the members of the GRT SB to resign.

Management of Vocea Basarabiei Radio and TV Stations Denied Suspension of Activities

The management of Vocea Basarabiei, a media outlet consisting of radio and television stations, announced in a press release that the editorial offices of these media outlets were taking a ‘short vacation’ starting on July 8, 2019. Previously, the media coverage reported on the possible suspension of activity of these two media outlets. Vocea Media, founder of Vocea Basarabiei, stated that media stations would continue their activity and production, and that the broadcasting grid would be improved. Lia Gutu, BC Press Officer, told Media-azi.md that the regulator wasn’t informed about possible changes in the activity of these media services.

Former Prosecutor Wants to Sue Several Media Outlets

Ziarul de Gardă (ZdG), Unimedia.INFO and NORDNEWS news portals could be sued by the former prosecutor Vladimir Mosneaga. He claims that his dignity and honor were harmed by an investigation originally published by ZdG and shared by the other two news portals, and threatens to sue all three outlets unless they pay compensation for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages. Vladimir Mosneaga, who had worked until recently in the Prosecutor's Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Cases (PCCOCS), and previously in the Unit for Criminal Investigation of Exceptional Cases of General Prosecutor's Office, attracted the attention of ZDG journalists because of the tens of thousands of euros he received as donations from his relatives and friends. The investigation Prosecutors Helped by Parents. 2018 Version, published by ZdG on June 29, makes reference to statements of assets and interests for 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014 and 2013, filed by Vladimir Moşneaga, and underscores that the phenomenon of ‘donations’ is widespread in the justice sector. The three media outlets regard the requests for pecuniary and non-pecuniary compensations as unsubstantiated, stating that no one may forbid or prevent the media from disseminating information of public interest within the limits of the law.

Media Monitoring

Broadcasting Council Issues Public Warning to Moldova 1 Channel

At a meeting July 2, the members of the BC publicly warned ‘Teleradio-Moldova’ Public Company regarding its coverage of the events that took place on June 8-9. The sanction was applied following the monitoring of the Moldova 1 public broadcaster, which was initiated the basis of a notification from BC member Olga Gututui. The monitoring confirmed that the controversial statement by the former Chair of the Democratic Party Vlad Plahotniuc calling the actions of PSRM and ACUM political actors a coup d’etat was first broadcast on Moldova 1, and that the reporting failed to cover the positions of all necessary stakeholders. Moreover, the same news reporting was rerun without any alteration on the following day. The BC also found that the news and debate programs on Moldova 1 did not comply with requirements on impartiality, balance and promotion of the free formation of opinions by presenting the main points of opposing views. Thus, the Audiovisual Media Services Code on ensuring accurate information to viewers was violated.

Media-M Project Updates

Manipulation Via Video or Audio Recordings is Used More and More Frequently by Certain Media Outlets in Moldova

According to the IJC report Elements of Propaganda, Information Manipulation and Violation of Journalism Ethics in the Local Media Space (1 April – 30 June 2019) published on July 16, the main violation committed by all 12 monitored media outlets is mixing facts and opinions. Other prominent violations included the selective presentation of facts and statements, and the failure to give persons featured in the news the right to reply. According to the author of the report, Victor Gotisan, mixing facts and opinions was one of the manipulation techniques that media outlets used most frequently when referring to the post-election negotiations between PSRM and the ACUM Bloc; activities by the new Government led by Maia Sandu; the collapse of the block of flats in Otaci; and the protest organized by the ACUM Bloc. IJC urged the editors of TV channels to monitor the editorial content to ensure it disseminates neutral, balanced and objective information.
The monitoring report is supported under the ‘Media Enabling Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova (MEDIA-M)’ Project, funded by USAID and UK Aid and implemented by Internews in Moldova.

Media-M Partner Updates

June Edition of Mass-Media in Moldova Magazine Issued

The June edition of the Mass-Media in Moldova Magazine once again brings to the forefront several issues in the sector, including media concentration, the situation of print and online media, and professional ethics issues. In the ‘Experiences’ section, journalist Anastasia Nani spoke to the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Ziarul de Garda Victor Mosneag. According to Mosneag, investigative media faces major issues, including financially. He argues that, should the foreign funding disappear, the few independent media outlets remaining on the market could disappear too. He warns that there is a high risk that they will ‘end up in the hands of certain politicians, who probably can’t wait for this to happen.’ In the ‘Book Review’ section, media researcher Victor Gotisan recommends ‘The Invention of Russia. The Rise of Putin and the Age of Fake News’ by Arkady Ostrovsky. The ‘Mass-Media in Moldova’ magazine is a publication of the IJC, which aims to support the professional integrity of journalists and high standards in the field. The magazine is issued twice a year – in June and December – in Romanian, Russian and English. The June edition 2019 of the Mass Media in Moldova magazine was supported financially by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency through the Swedish Embassy in Chisinau.

The Media Azi Show

In January 2018, the representatives of PRO TV Chisinau, Jurnal TV, TV 8 and RTR Moldova asked the Competition Council to investigate an alleged cartel agreement between Casa Media and Exclusiv Sales advertising companies. Despite the request, the case file failed to gather all the necessary evidence. Journalist Victoria Dodon analyzed this topic during Media Azi Show.
 
How to reduce concentration of media ownership and manipulation on the TV screen? What measures should be taken to bring balance and ethical standards to the TV channels belonging to politicians? Journalist Anastasia Nani discussed the subject in the Media Azi show with MP Adrian Lebedinschi, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Media.

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