Anticorruption reporting contest awards winners

Five Moldovan investigative journalists on Friday, December 21, received prizes at the awards ceremony of contest entitled “Reporting on Corruption in Print Media”, organised by Transparency International – Moldova. Cornelia Cozonac of the Investigative Journalism Centre won the first prize. The second prize was shared between Alina Radu (Ziarul de Garda newspaper) and Tudor Iascenco (Cuvantul newspaper). The third prize went to Raisa Lozinschi (Jurnal de Chisinau) and Alina Turcanu (Timpul). The winners received money prizes of USD 200, 150 and 100, respectively. The winning investigative articles were selected from about 150 entries submitted by 14 Moldovan reporters. The articles were judged by a jury composed of Vasile Botnaru, director of Radio Free Europe in Chisinau, Constantin Marin, Dean of the Journalism Faculty of the Moldova State University, Tudor Popovici, judge of the Supreme Court of Justice, and Efim Obreja, representative of Transparency International. The winners were selected based on several criteria, including the investigative features, intolerance towards corruption, risk of corruption and ethical approach. Judge Tudor Popovici showed little satisfaction with the materials of the journalists, saying that despite the “large diversity”, meaning that all the problems were addressed and all the relevant stakeholders cited, the investigative materials should also contain a lesson for the readers, so that an attitude of rejection against corruption is created, “itching and crushing our inner feelings”. “The problem should be investigated more deeply and all guilty persons should be fearlessly yet professionally nagged”, Tudor Popovici concluded, quoted by Info-Prim Neo.