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The term pack journalism was coined by Timothy Crouse based on his observations in 1972, during the presidential election campaign of Richard Nixon and George McGovern. In the beginning, the concept of pack journalism was perceived in a more positive context. Meanwhile, the term has taken a negative connotation. But I will try to point out the positive elements of this kind of journalism and how it could serve the realities in Moldova.
Pack journalism can be an effective way of doing journalism, especially in countries in transition, at least it can be a beginning that leads to quality journalism in the societies, where access to information is often limited intentionally by certain official state institutions. Reinventing the pack journalism in the realities of Moldova could serve to multiply the messages and the information, factual and accurate information of course, which will inevitably contribute to an increased access to information.
Firstly, pack journalism requires and imposes an element of solidarity on journalists, a very important factor, in particular, if we consider that one of the basic rules of the journalists states that it has to serve the PUBLIC INTEREST, but not that of the owners (usually politicians) media institutions.
Secondly, pack journalism can bring what in the theory of media is called a spin-off – and this is the case when a media institution does not limit itself only to taking up a topic or information published by another news agency, but it develops the topic, takes a step forward, gives it a sequel and brings new details about it.
Thirdly, in cases when the state institutions that are to be responsible for order and dictatorship law are in a lethargic sleep, pack journalism may become a factor of mobilization and compel those institutions to do their job.
Why journalistic solidarity didn’t evolve in the Republic of Moldova and why there is no journalistic solidarity (yet)
Secondly, it is much easier for journalists in Moldova to sit comfortably in the chairs, in their offices and access the web pages of news agencies and do copy-paste, or if one feels like, he/she may give a telephone call to the people concerned in the copy-paste information, but that's not absolutely necessary.
Thirdly, it has to do with a specific feature of the Moldovan journalism. There is an unwritten rule in the guild of Moldovan journalism which states that: the one that writes about a topic of public interest, seems that he/she has a patent over the product and no other media institution has the right to take it up and write about this subject.
The press is the watchdog of the society. It is something that has been repeated so often that it is already becoming commonplace. Unfortunately, the journalists in the Republic of Moldova haven’t become (yet!) a solidarity bunch, but rather a solitary one.
How can there be guild solidarity, when the journalists are afraid to cite (live!) each other. Probably every evening during the newscasts we can hear expressions like X said, quoting: "a private television station" or "a private radio station" or "in a newspaper investigation". Dear journalists, it's simple, it's no problem and there is no risk, at all, to mention directly that "X told Radio Europa Libera or Ziarul de Garda, Pro TV Chisinau, TV7 or Jurnal TV".
However, it appears that the carriage moves out of place, slowly, actually, but it is a beginning for the pack journalism and it makes its way in the media sector in Moldova. A good example in this respect is the investigation of the "uncensored CV of the Prime Minister" published on March 5, 2015 by Ziarul de Garda and taken up by most media outlets in the country and some even tried a spin-off of the topic, coming with new details about the case.
The American journalists Mary Walton and Charles Layton stated at one point that pack journalism is an evil, but a necessary one, especially for societies in transition, for the spirit of solidarity it develops. Yes, it is a proven fact that pack journalism is a journalism that kills the originality and promotes copy-paste. I absolutely agree, however, in a society where corruption is at its peak, the originality and "title deeds" on topics (especially those related to serious violation of the law) must be sacrificed for the sake of public interest, multiplication of truthful messages and access to information. This is good, at least, at the first stage until the citizens of this society will learn to think and analyze things critically.
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The article was published within the Advocacy Campaigns Aimed at Improving Transparency of Media Ownership, Access to Information and promotion of EU values and integration project, implemented by the IJC, which is, in its turn, part of the Moldova Partnerships for Sustainable Civil Society project, implemented by FHI 360.
This article is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The content are the responsibility of author and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
