Ro
En
Рy
journalist
Well, after about 30 years in which the good part of my fellows fought for freedom of expression and to form in our society a free press, we winded up that we shall get today in the forefront of talks, topics about journalists who are at the mercy of politicians. It’s terrible, brothers. It’s even criminal to admit such things, in a situation where we acknowledge that Moldova is ruled by a political clan suspected of crime.
I say this because today, too many journalists play the role of foil in exercises of political fencing of depraved gangs. Or they were transformed into avant-garde platoons obliged, by manipulation, to create breaches enabling these criminal groups to put hand on state seizing levers.
I think that my statements, although too drastic, are supported, above all, by journalists of older generations, who in the years of national liberation, and then in early years of Independence of the Republic of Moldova, rushed into fight, twisting their enthusiasm and hoping naively that they forced changes for the better, and that they would necessarily happen: democracy, matured political class, freedom of expression, free press ... Meanwhile, our politicians have learned very fast how to use cunningly the press as a career lever and as a life ring...
However, advanced journalists (including older ones) didn’t accept a few years ago the role of elementary tools of politicians and few of them formed with these politicians tandems manipulating public opinion. Those who understood that they were used for macabre purposes opposed and said the truth to the world. It is enough to recall, in this regard, the example of PCDP leader, Iurie Rosca, whom the media “sanctified” as a national leader, but this is the same media, i.e. journalists, that “buried” him.
I am convinced that most of today’s journalists realize that they are used as tools of manipulation - the problem is that they don’t revolt any more; they accept the status of slaves of master and consider this as normality. Some of them don’t feel remorse for lack of professional ethics and moral integrity. I was astonished seeing how a journalist made fun of trouble on Facebook with one of her colleagues: we, the press tribe ... It hurts me to think that passed through metamorphoses of Moldovan Absurdistan, journalists were transformed by politicians and oligarchs into a press tribe; that watchdogs of society became, as one of my colleague said, “behaved bitches who milk politicians and bark just in the direction indicated by them”. Even worse is that they accept to be media killers. It is enough to watch a few times one or another TV channel and soon you realize who are behaved media killers.
Today, journalists of the largest media groups - to make more clear whom we talk about - know the dirty things of oligarchs who master them, but unscrupulously continue to eat flowers and speak butterflies. It is sadder that the relevant oligarchs, being engaged in rivalry, made of their journalists some packs of dogs booing each other. And if you watch a little how reporters of several television channels poison each other, and if you know some subtleties, you realize how bitter is in these times the bread of a media employee. But is this bread worth such a human and professional degradation?
I can not state that journalists from the media of Plahotniuc think entirely like the “cardinal in the shadow” of the Moldovan politics; those from Jurnal Trust Media - like refugees and prisoners Victor and Viorel Topa; those from Vocea Basarabiei - like Vlad Filat or those from TV 7 – like the politician Chiril Lucinschi. However it is seen from a mile away, especially from some materials that they put on the air, that they do what their political patrons think, that they make up a tandem with them. And these tandems make what we have - a stolen society exposed to the risk of authoritarian regime, disappointed, confused and without free press. With the exception of a few oases that exist thanks to the support of some international donors, such as Radio Free Europe, Radio Chisinau, Ziarul de Garda and a few others.
When you see what is happening, you want to cry: politicians have harnessed journalists!
... Such politicians as Dodon already announced massive enrolment of journalists. Those like Shor and Usatai certainly follow in his footsteps ... And I am concerned that they will also easily find entire platoons among my colleagues to assign them rearguard mission: press tribe, rabid dogs, media killers, behaved bitches who milked politicians and bark only in the direction indicated by master ... Knowing this, should we not abhor what we made up of this admirable profession of ours?
I know it's easy to point out from side - but I did it collegially, between us, on our media platform and without washing dirty linen in public. I did it to suggest you the need for a moral bathroom, and then to try to make things normal as many of us know to do. Otherwise, journalists, leaving themselves mobilized by current politicians and amoral oligarchs, make a manipulative tandem and become characters of a story of failure of Moldova.
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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.
