Media nongovernmental organizations express their concern about the prevention of journalists of TV8 from attending the September 14 meeting of the National Political Council of the Democratic Party of Moldova for the reason that the channel’s editorial policy does not suit the administration of the PDM. According to a message published on  www.tv8.md, the reporter of TV8 could not attend the event owing to the channel’s editorial policy.

In a statement quoted by IPN, the signatories said the journalists from other media outlets had free access to the hall. The signatory NGOs condemn the practice of selective admission of journalists to events of public interest and describes this as inacceptable for any party, especially for a ruling one that declares it supports the democratic values.

The media NGOs demand that the political parties should treat the representatives of the media according to the same standards, without dividing them into “hours” and “yours” and convenient and inconvenient. They remind that Article 180 of the Penal Code stipulates that the intentional hampering of journalistic activity is punished criminally. The NGOs call on all the parties to show more openness in the relations with the press.

The statement was signed by the Independent Journalism Center, the Association of Independent Press, the Journalistic Investigations Center, the Committee for the Freedom of the Press, the Association of Independent Tele-Journalists and RISE Moldova.