The 2016 Mass Media Forum that is expected to bring together about 150 journalists, editors, civil society members and experts will take place in Chisinau on December 2 and 3. Participants can register on www.mediaforum.md, IPN reports.

The forum is organized by the Press Council of the Republic of Moldova in partnership with the Association of Independent Press (API), the Independent Journalism Center (CJI) and the Electronic Press Association (APEL). The organizers aim to debate the main problems of the Moldovan journalistic community and to examine the implementation of the ‘roadmap’ for developing the mass media in the Republic of Moldova, which was drafted by the 2015 Mass Media Forum. There will be proposed supplements to the ‘roadmap’ and other solutions to the existing problems whose application can ensure a climate of fair competition and will facilitate the editorial independence of the media outlets of Moldova.

The program of the first day of the forum includes a debate on the state of the media in Moldova, which will involve Head of Parliament Andrian Candu, Prime Minister Pavel Filip, representatives of the diplomatic corps and international missions, and media experts, and three masterclasses and presentations by foreign experts.

On the second day, the participants will be able to discuss problems faced in the professional activity of journalists and to suggest solutions within six thematic workshops that will take place concomitantly. A resolution and supplements to the ‘roadmap’ for developing the mass media in the Republic of Moldova will be later debated and adopted. The adopted documents will be transmitted to the authorities, representatives of foreign embassies, European and international organizations and experts that monitor the democratic development of Moldova, other persons and interested institutions.

Romanian will be the working language at the forum. The opening and closing sessions will be interpreted simultaneously into Russian and English. The official website of the forum www.mediaforum.md contains a special page - http://mediaforum.md/event - that is updated with relevant information about this event.

Between November 1 and November 20 inclusive, those interested in taking part in the 2016 Mass Media Forum can register online by filling out the form available on the website. The organizers will transmit confirmations to the selected persons. The list of participants will be published five days before the forum.

The first Mass Media Forum of Moldova was held on October 27-28, 2015.