31 January 2018
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Refusing the right to reply for the persons mentioned in news in a negative context, omissions, labeling, and mixing facts and opinions are the main violations and manipulation methods noted in the monitoring report “Elements of Propaganda, Information Manipulation and Violation of Journalism Ethics in the Local Media Space (October 1 – December 31, 2017)” released by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) on Wednesday, January 31.
In October-December 2017, 12 media outlets – news portals and televisions – were covered by monitoring as they reported on major events of significant public interest: suspension of the European Union funding for the justice sector, appointment of Eugen Sturza as defense minister, Vitalie Proca’s interview to Jurnal TV, Fifth Eastern Partnership Summit and the signing of the agreement on macrofinancial assistance of EUR 100 million offered by the EU, as well as the opening of the NATO Liaison Office in Chisinau.
According to media researcher Victor Gotisan, who prepared the report, the media covered by monitoring during this period still ignored the rules of writing news in their coverage of events of significant public interest, disseminated incomplete information, or presented information unilaterally. “The common problem in most of the monitored media is that journalists ignore, willingly or not, the principle of granting the right to reply to the people who were mentioned in news in a negative context,” Victor Gotisan said.
The report makes it clear that “the Accent TV and NTV Moldova television channels covered the monitored topics in a unilateral and biased way sympathizing directly with the Party of Socialists, while Publika TV, Prime TV and Canal 2 mostly provided the same news content, giving preference to the Democratic Party. These media presented facts selectively and mixed facts and opinions.”
Further, Jurnal TV had elements of selective presentation of facts, lack of the right to reply and balance, whereas Sputnik.md omitted certain current topics from its daily agenda.
In this regard, the IJC recommends the Broadcasting Coordinating Council to interfere and initiate monitoring of the TV channels the content of which is reported as a source of manipulative or false information.
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The monitoring report was produced by the Independent Journalism Center as a partner of the “Media Enabling Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova” (MEDIA-M) media project funded by USAID and implemented by Internews. The MEDIA-M project is aimed at promoting the development of independent and professional media in Moldova, providing citizens with access to various points of view and helping to form the media more resistant to political and financial pressure.
In October-December 2017, 12 media outlets – news portals and televisions – were covered by monitoring as they reported on major events of significant public interest: suspension of the European Union funding for the justice sector, appointment of Eugen Sturza as defense minister, Vitalie Proca’s interview to Jurnal TV, Fifth Eastern Partnership Summit and the signing of the agreement on macrofinancial assistance of EUR 100 million offered by the EU, as well as the opening of the NATO Liaison Office in Chisinau.
According to media researcher Victor Gotisan, who prepared the report, the media covered by monitoring during this period still ignored the rules of writing news in their coverage of events of significant public interest, disseminated incomplete information, or presented information unilaterally. “The common problem in most of the monitored media is that journalists ignore, willingly or not, the principle of granting the right to reply to the people who were mentioned in news in a negative context,” Victor Gotisan said.
The report makes it clear that “the Accent TV and NTV Moldova television channels covered the monitored topics in a unilateral and biased way sympathizing directly with the Party of Socialists, while Publika TV, Prime TV and Canal 2 mostly provided the same news content, giving preference to the Democratic Party. These media presented facts selectively and mixed facts and opinions.”
Further, Jurnal TV had elements of selective presentation of facts, lack of the right to reply and balance, whereas Sputnik.md omitted certain current topics from its daily agenda.
In this regard, the IJC recommends the Broadcasting Coordinating Council to interfere and initiate monitoring of the TV channels the content of which is reported as a source of manipulative or false information.
__________________________________
The monitoring report was produced by the Independent Journalism Center as a partner of the “Media Enabling Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova” (MEDIA-M) media project funded by USAID and implemented by Internews. The MEDIA-M project is aimed at promoting the development of independent and professional media in Moldova, providing citizens with access to various points of view and helping to form the media more resistant to political and financial pressure.