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PDM ‘Relapses’ – TV8 Journalists Were Denied the Access to the Briefing of the Party for the Second Time. What the prime minister thinks

18 September 2018
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On Tuesday 18 September, journalists from TV 8 channel were denied again the access to the Democratic Party’s office. During the weekly briefing, Vlad Plahotniuc, leader of the party, spoke about the reform of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture. Prime Minister Pavel Filip, introduced the two ministers to the mass-media representatives: Silvia Radu and Nicolae Ciubuc.

Anastasia Antoceanu, the reporter of the Agora portal, asked Pavel Filip why the colleagues from TV8 were not allowed to enter the conference room. The Prime Minister Pavel Filip answered: ‘In case you didn't know, my name is Pavel Filip and I am Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova. If we speak about the Democratic Party’s press conferences, please talk to those who directly represent it. There is a spokesperson and I think there are people who do their job.’

When asked what he thinks about denying the TV8 reporter the access to this event, Pavel Filip explained: ‘If you want my point of view, I think the events have to be reported objectively. I have seen less objectivity on these TV channels.’
Note that last Friday, a TV8 reporter was denied the access to the office of PDM ‘because of the editorial policy’ of the channel.
Non-governmental media organisations condemned the selective admission of journalists to public events, qualifying them as unacceptable for any political party, ‘especially for a ruling party that qualifies itself as an adept of democratic values’.

‘We ask the political parties to treat media representatives according to the same standards, without dividing them into “ours” and “yours” or into “comfortable” and “uncomfortable” journalists.’ According to the declaration of media NGOs, ‘finally, the law guarantees all media representatives the equal right to participate in the public events and manifestations, obtain and disseminate information, make audiovisual recordings, film and take pictures’.