Independent Press Association mulls press council

The Independent Press Association (IPA) considers the opportunity of setting up a press council to solve possible conflicts between journalists and the public. IPA held public debates on the issue on Friday, June 26, in Chisinau, Info-Prim Neo reports. In Moldova, there is a National Ethics Commission, about the Journalists Union. When asked for his opinion whether a media council might double the tasks of the ethics commission, the IPA executive manager, Pentru Macovei, has said: “There is a fundamental difference between those two entities. The council is dealing with the media-public relation, while the ethics commission is a self-regulatory entity, purely journalistic, in which journalists discuss about other journalists' products.” Petru Macovei is inclined to believe such a press council could be set up in the fall of this year. IPA carried out a sociological study on the issue, on the basis of which it shaped a list of possible powers of the media council. So, this one could take claims from the people considering that a published material violates the ethical and professional standards, it could negotiate quick compromise solutions, mutually acceptable, in cases of materials questioned by the public, and could run campaigns promoting quality journalism. Similar debates took place in Balti and Cahul.