The Press Council of Moldova has launched the online debate platform www.mediaforum.md that is intended for professionals from the mass media sector and for media consumers. The Council’s secretary Petru Macovei has told IPN that the virtual platform will help multiply the knowledge and positive practices in journalism, encouraging professional competition and meeting of the journalistic quality standards.

The platform www.mediaforum.md has five thematic divisions, name: Deontology and Ethics, Media Professionalization, Media Management, Media Legislation, and Mediacriticism. Within the first four divisions, there will be debates problems faced by journalists and media outlets in their daily work, while the Mediacriticism division is designed for the opinions of media consumers.

“The users can write their opinions on the proposed issues or can suggest their own themes for discussion. The Press Council will invite as moderators professionals from the mass media and experts from different fields from the country and abroad. Thus, www.mediaforum.md will become an instrument for permanent communication and exchange of opinions, information/data and experience between mass media professionals and will ensure interactive communication between journalists and media consumers,” stated Petru Macovei.

The first five topics for discussion proposed on www.mediaforum.md are: “Moderation of comments on websites: what criteria should be used?” (moderator Ludmila Andronic, who is the president of the Press Council), ‘Quality of design of Moldova’s news websites” (moderator Dumitru Ciorici, editorial director of Interact Media SRL), “Distribution of newspapers and magazines: mission impossible?” (moderator Alina Radu, director of the weekly “Ziarul de Garda”), “New publicity law in labor pains” (moderator Tatiana Puiu, lawyer and a member of the Public Association “Jurists for Human Rights”) and “Crisis of the leu: informational manipulation as a shield for price rises?” (moderator Doru Petrutsi, director of the Marketing and Polling Institute IMAS-INC Chisinau).

The conclusions of the online debates will be published and examined at public events or transmitted, if necessary, to competent national and international institutions/authorities. The portal www.mediaforum.md is already functional, being supported financially by the Media Program of Soros Foundation Moldova.