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According to SAJ Director Sorina Stefarta, the topics debated at the event had been suggested by graduates and trainers, who had answered a questionnaire specially produced by the SAJ. “Ideas resulted from the poll are: The journalism of today lacks INDEPENDENCE and INTEGRITY. To keep integrity is also a piece of advice for those who wish to start a career in journalism. Those who feel they cannot do it should give up. The current state of the media in Moldova is worse than ever, and the atmosphere keeps worsening. The challenges that the young people who start doing journalism face are many and diverse – from financial issues to the editorial policies of media outlets, from grammar to lack of general knowledge, from political recruitment to abandonment of deontology. The role of the media today is to do propaganda and manipulation instead of the right one – provision of correct information to the public,” Sorina Stefarta said.
In their turn, journalists-trainers Vasile Botnaru, Liliana Barbarosie, Alina Radu and Dorin Scobioala referred to professional ethics, the importance of independent media, and professional solidarity. Director of Radio Free Europe Vasile Botnaru addressed a special message to participants: “If we lose the match with conscience, we will disappear forever!”
Special guest at the meeting of SAJ students was Steven Knowlton, professor of journalism at Dublin City University, Ireland, the author of the first study program of the SAJ, who taught trainers how to teach future journalists. “The SAJ is a source of inspiration for me and for my students. It is the place where real journalism is made. Keep doing what you’re doing and keep the flame burning!” he urged his disciples.
Media Azi asked some graduates what studies at the SAJ meant for their careers, and here is what they said:
Anastasia Nani, editor-in-chief of Anticoruptie.md portal: “The SAJ opened new doors to me. Journalism is full of challenges, and I will not exaggerate if I say that including due to the School’s trainers I learned how to face them with dignity. I am glad that many of my colleagues – from my class and from other graduate classes – chose to work in the few outlets that still do correct journalism. In fact, every day in journalism is a challenge: you need to find a good topic and explore it well; be correct with your sources and readers; know when you should give up or ‘fight’ with the boss for the coverage of a topic… It is also important not to let others manipulate you and not to manipulate your public.”
Dorina Gherganov, reporter and host at TVR Moldova channel: “When I graduated from the School of Advanced Journalism I had great journalistic enthusiasm. It was after April 2009, when new and diverse media outlets were launched, and the challenge was to manage to apply everything the SAJ trainers taught me and be correct and devoted in doing my job. Unfortunately, the trajectory of our media was not positive. The battle is no longer fought for the quality of news, but for how much you can manipulate and stay ‘credible.’ I had the honor and luck to work in outlets where no one told me how to write a news story or what questions to ask when doing fieldwork – Pro TV, Moldova 1, TVR. Two of the SAJ trainers used to be my employees.”
Dorin Galben, reporter for Timpul newspaper: “The biggest challenge for a journalist today is to be correct and neutral, regardless of the outlet they work for. I had been employed at a media outlet when I enrolled into the SAJ, but it is there that I learned that if you do your job honestly, you will always be appreciated and wanted. So, I’m not afraid to lose my job, and that makes me immune to all challenges. I write only about the issues I find important for the public and I make shows on carefully chosen topics, and my choice is not imposed by anyone or anything. Politicians and parties come and go, while we, journalists, stay, and we must do our job with dignity.”
Lilia Zaharia, special reporter for the Association of Independent Press: “The School changed my life. To the better, of course. Now I do what I like. In only one year, the SAJ ‘produces’ quality journalists due to professional trainers. These days, journalists fall prey to money, forgetting about ethics and public interest. The biggest challenge for a journalist now is to keep their integrity. Speaking about money, I meant that some accept work in politicized media trusts only for a fat pay.”
The School of Advanced Journalism is a project of the Independent Journalism Center. It was launched on September 4, 2006 in order to prepare journalists for Moldovan media. Since 2006 up to now, over 150 young journalists finished this post-graduate educational institution. Most of them work in the media outlets inside the country.
