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We condemn the practices of restricting the access of TV8 to the PDM briefing and attempts to disunite the journalists

14 March 2019
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Media NGOs condemn the repeated prohibition by the Democratic Party of TV8 journalists to participate in the events of this political party, and urge the DP leadership to abandon the practices of selective admission of media outlets to the actions organized by them.
Thus, according to TV8 station, on Thursday, 14 March, the reporter Sergiu Niculita was denied the access to DP office. When asked to comment on the case, DP Vice-president Andrian Candu avoided to do so, alleging that he was not familiar with it.
We qualify this incident as abuse and serious violation not only of the rights of journalists whom the law guarantees freedom to receive and share information through media (Article 20 of the Law on Press), but also the rights of citizens who have the freedom to be informed (Article 6(1) of the Law on Freedom of Expression).
We recall that TV8's shooting team was denied access to the DP office at other briefings as well, before the 24 February parliamentary elections. Then, the Press Officer, Irina Gisca, said that the restriction of access was due to the editorial policy of the station.  
We urge DPM leadership to reassess its own standards so that they comply with the provisions of the Law on Political Parties, according to which political parties are ‘democratic institutions of the state of law, promote democratic values and political pluralism, contribute to the shaping of public opinion’.
We are calling repeatedly on this political party to abandon the practices of selective admission of journalists to public events, and not to restrict the freedom of media outlets it considers inconvenient, as well as of the independent journalists who are doing their job honestly.

Independent Journalism Center
Association of Independent Press
Association of Electronic Press
Association of Independent TV Journalists  
‘Access-Info’ Center