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Рy03 May 2017
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Between May 3, 2016 and May 3, 2017 Moldovan media mostly regressed, with old problems still there. Concentration in the media, faulty legal framework, limited access to information, interference of politics with the work of the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (BCC) and with the media in general, poor economic conditions did not allow the media to develop – these findings have been included into the Memorandum on Press Freedom, presented to the public on Wednesday, May 3, by several Moldovan media organizations.
The Memorandum has been released at a press conference launching the Press Freedom Days. The leaders of five media NGOs – Independent Journalism Center (IJC), Association of Independent Press (AIP), Electronic Press Association (APEL), Association of Independent TV Journalists (AITVJ), and Journalistic Investigations Center of Moldova (JICM) – spoke about the main problems faced by the media in Moldova and appealed to authorities to be more responsive and to participate in solving of the problems of journalists.
Nadine Gogu, Executive Director of the IJC, drew attention to the fact that, according to national and international assessments, press freedom in Moldova has been in continuous decline. "We have been talking about this for years, and if we keep this course, we risk getting again into the group of countries where the press is not free, as we were before 2010."
One of the reasons that led to this regress is that authorities fail to turn declarations into deeds: "They say they want a change for the better in the field of the media, but it doesn’t actually happen." In this context, Nadine Gogu mentioned the law on access to information, which was voted in the first reading and then was left out in the cold. Likewise, the new Broadcasting Code was voted in the first reading last year and then left in the shadow.
"After modifications were introduced into the Broadcasting Code in March, we should expect reduction of concentration already in May, because the media owners who have more than two licenses should remain with only two for radio and two for television. We will see if it actually happens," said Nadine Gogu.
Differences between statements and deeds may be noted in other cases, too. Thus, although we are talking about foreign propaganda and authorities have repeatedly claimed that they are concerned about this problem, de facto, last year the BCC granted licenses to some televisions that will again retransmit manipulating content and propaganda from Russia.
The Memorandum on Press Freedom states that the climate in Moldova is not media-friendly. According to the IJC director, the cases of journalist Mariana Rata and of Vladimir Soloviov show "how journalists can be intimidated."
In his message to the journalistic community, the AIP Executive Director Petru Macovei urged representatives of the media to put more value on journalistic reputation, because "reputation means serving public interest, and not commitment to politics or to the private interests of individuals or groups." According to Petru Macovei, in Moldova we have quite many problems related to journalistic ethics, this aspect being "directly influenced by exaggerated political control from owners, many of whom are politicians."
As for the attention the authorities pay to the media sector, the AIP executive director noted the lack of their reaction to the decisions of the Media Forums in 2015 and 2016. "Unfortunately, even though nearly six months passed since the last Media Forum, the answers we received from the public institutions were vague."
Alina Radu, director of the "Ziarul de Garda" newspaper, spoke about the difficulties faced by her publication for 13 years and about the conditions under which independent press is being done in Moldova. "Yes, independent press is possible, free journalists do exist, but at what price?" she wonders. In this context, she mentioned: "We have Ziarul de Garda in Romanian and in Russian languages. The Post of Moldova company takes 40 percent to deliver it to subscribers. Every day we have complaints that the newspaper is not delivered. At the same time, I think all of you saw, a few days ago, the newspapers of the governing party arrive in mailboxes very quickly, even at night, if needed, 4-5 copies to an address. And I don't understand why a newspaper that has a contract with the Post of Moldova and pays to it 40 percent arrives late, sometimes damaged, with losses, while the party newspaper is successfully delivered and the post service demonstrates that it can work...”
However, Alina Radu stressed that "we feel good in this context, because we have freedom of thought and do the kind of journalism that our citizens like. I am sure that, if there are more of us, the pressure on those who should ensure appropriate conditions for journalists will increase and things will change."
This opinion is shared by Cornelia Cozonac, Director of the JICM: "In Moldova we can do free journalism, we can write, we can do journalistic investigations, and we should appreciate it. As long as we do our work well and there are many of us, the system will not be able to act on its interests as it wants."
The JICM Director also spoke about the case of journalist Mariana Rata, who got under criminal investigation after she made a news report about a former state official, stressing that "we have proved that we can unite as a professional community in the face of the emerging threats, and it means we can develop and do independent journalism."
"It would have been very good to congratulate each other on this day and to acknowledge that we act in a free environment, that we have free press, but unfortunately we have been in the category of partially free press for years," concluded Ion Bunduchi, Executive Director of APEL. According to him, due to the "islands of independent, professional, free journalism" that exist in Moldova, the prestige of this profession remains high. Ion Bunduchi urged his fellow professionals to do their job honestly, because this is the only way how "we can look people in the eye."
The Memorandum on Press Freedom may be accessed HERE.
The Memorandum has been released at a press conference launching the Press Freedom Days. The leaders of five media NGOs – Independent Journalism Center (IJC), Association of Independent Press (AIP), Electronic Press Association (APEL), Association of Independent TV Journalists (AITVJ), and Journalistic Investigations Center of Moldova (JICM) – spoke about the main problems faced by the media in Moldova and appealed to authorities to be more responsive and to participate in solving of the problems of journalists.
Nadine Gogu, Executive Director of the IJC, drew attention to the fact that, according to national and international assessments, press freedom in Moldova has been in continuous decline. "We have been talking about this for years, and if we keep this course, we risk getting again into the group of countries where the press is not free, as we were before 2010."
One of the reasons that led to this regress is that authorities fail to turn declarations into deeds: "They say they want a change for the better in the field of the media, but it doesn’t actually happen." In this context, Nadine Gogu mentioned the law on access to information, which was voted in the first reading and then was left out in the cold. Likewise, the new Broadcasting Code was voted in the first reading last year and then left in the shadow.
"After modifications were introduced into the Broadcasting Code in March, we should expect reduction of concentration already in May, because the media owners who have more than two licenses should remain with only two for radio and two for television. We will see if it actually happens," said Nadine Gogu.
Differences between statements and deeds may be noted in other cases, too. Thus, although we are talking about foreign propaganda and authorities have repeatedly claimed that they are concerned about this problem, de facto, last year the BCC granted licenses to some televisions that will again retransmit manipulating content and propaganda from Russia.
The Memorandum on Press Freedom states that the climate in Moldova is not media-friendly. According to the IJC director, the cases of journalist Mariana Rata and of Vladimir Soloviov show "how journalists can be intimidated."
In his message to the journalistic community, the AIP Executive Director Petru Macovei urged representatives of the media to put more value on journalistic reputation, because "reputation means serving public interest, and not commitment to politics or to the private interests of individuals or groups." According to Petru Macovei, in Moldova we have quite many problems related to journalistic ethics, this aspect being "directly influenced by exaggerated political control from owners, many of whom are politicians."
As for the attention the authorities pay to the media sector, the AIP executive director noted the lack of their reaction to the decisions of the Media Forums in 2015 and 2016. "Unfortunately, even though nearly six months passed since the last Media Forum, the answers we received from the public institutions were vague."
Alina Radu, director of the "Ziarul de Garda" newspaper, spoke about the difficulties faced by her publication for 13 years and about the conditions under which independent press is being done in Moldova. "Yes, independent press is possible, free journalists do exist, but at what price?" she wonders. In this context, she mentioned: "We have Ziarul de Garda in Romanian and in Russian languages. The Post of Moldova company takes 40 percent to deliver it to subscribers. Every day we have complaints that the newspaper is not delivered. At the same time, I think all of you saw, a few days ago, the newspapers of the governing party arrive in mailboxes very quickly, even at night, if needed, 4-5 copies to an address. And I don't understand why a newspaper that has a contract with the Post of Moldova and pays to it 40 percent arrives late, sometimes damaged, with losses, while the party newspaper is successfully delivered and the post service demonstrates that it can work...”
However, Alina Radu stressed that "we feel good in this context, because we have freedom of thought and do the kind of journalism that our citizens like. I am sure that, if there are more of us, the pressure on those who should ensure appropriate conditions for journalists will increase and things will change."
This opinion is shared by Cornelia Cozonac, Director of the JICM: "In Moldova we can do free journalism, we can write, we can do journalistic investigations, and we should appreciate it. As long as we do our work well and there are many of us, the system will not be able to act on its interests as it wants."
The JICM Director also spoke about the case of journalist Mariana Rata, who got under criminal investigation after she made a news report about a former state official, stressing that "we have proved that we can unite as a professional community in the face of the emerging threats, and it means we can develop and do independent journalism."
"It would have been very good to congratulate each other on this day and to acknowledge that we act in a free environment, that we have free press, but unfortunately we have been in the category of partially free press for years," concluded Ion Bunduchi, Executive Director of APEL. According to him, due to the "islands of independent, professional, free journalism" that exist in Moldova, the prestige of this profession remains high. Ion Bunduchi urged his fellow professionals to do their job honestly, because this is the only way how "we can look people in the eye."
The Memorandum on Press Freedom may be accessed HERE.
