Ro
En
Рy06 November 2015
1383 reads
The Speaker of Parliament considers it is normal for the journalists accredited to the Parliament not to have access to its plenary meetings and believes that the presence of the media might have a negative impact on the MPs’ work. It is despite the fact that for nearly a year and a half media professionals and media organizations conducted a wide campaign, requesting free access for journalists in the Parliament.
Andrian Candu brought forth the following argument: “I don’t think we need to tell you how behavior and statements change when an extra camera appears. You will be extremely surprised to see MPs in a working group, discussing and working when there are no cameras, and you will see a complete change of attitude and behavior when cameras appear, because for some reason in their opinion the doctrine or political views of a group or the fact that they are attached to a party prevail over efficiency and quality.”
In this context, the Speaker also said that “if it’s necessary”, they could improve journalists’ working conditions, “from internet speed or monitors to such human things as coffee or parking lots for bicycles,” but he made it clear that there can be no free access of the media to plenary meetings. He invited the Media Forum participants to put this issue into debate and even come up with solutions…
We shall remind that the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) conducted an awareness campaign titled “We want access to the Parliament!” during the entire year 2014 and in the first months of 2015, on the days when MPs had plenary meetings. The arguments of media professionals and media NGOs were that thus they could stop politicians from “continuing abuses” and that “press freedom means free access of journalists to information.” Some journalists thought that the presence of the media in the Parliament’s meeting hall “would not at all disturb the MPs’ work, as they claim; on the contrary, it would put a little pressure on some elected officials who spend time there playing on their phones, talking or even sleeping…”
We shall remind that the Independent Journalism Center has sent to the Parliament, the Presidential Administration and the Government several petitions with hundreds of signatures, asking for creation of proper working conditions for the journalists accredited to the Parliament.
Andrian Candu brought forth the following argument: “I don’t think we need to tell you how behavior and statements change when an extra camera appears. You will be extremely surprised to see MPs in a working group, discussing and working when there are no cameras, and you will see a complete change of attitude and behavior when cameras appear, because for some reason in their opinion the doctrine or political views of a group or the fact that they are attached to a party prevail over efficiency and quality.”
In this context, the Speaker also said that “if it’s necessary”, they could improve journalists’ working conditions, “from internet speed or monitors to such human things as coffee or parking lots for bicycles,” but he made it clear that there can be no free access of the media to plenary meetings. He invited the Media Forum participants to put this issue into debate and even come up with solutions…
We shall remind that the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) conducted an awareness campaign titled “We want access to the Parliament!” during the entire year 2014 and in the first months of 2015, on the days when MPs had plenary meetings. The arguments of media professionals and media NGOs were that thus they could stop politicians from “continuing abuses” and that “press freedom means free access of journalists to information.” Some journalists thought that the presence of the media in the Parliament’s meeting hall “would not at all disturb the MPs’ work, as they claim; on the contrary, it would put a little pressure on some elected officials who spend time there playing on their phones, talking or even sleeping…”
We shall remind that the Independent Journalism Center has sent to the Parliament, the Presidential Administration and the Government several petitions with hundreds of signatures, asking for creation of proper working conditions for the journalists accredited to the Parliament.
