Journalism Ethics Commission commits to notify any case of deviating from moral principles

“Moldova needs qualitative, free, professional media, fully based on the journalistic ethical norms,” say the members of the Ethics National Commission of the Moldovan Journalists, as they outlined their views on the media's situation, at a news conference in Chisinau, on July 8, Info-Prim Neo reports. In an appeal to their guild colleagues, the Ethics Commission members call to observe the ethical principles in everything they are doing. “Or, the lack of moral norms can draw in the disdain of colleagues and the public,” they consider. Under the circumstances when the pressure of political parties is growing more and more on media outlets, while the employers – known or would-be ones – influence the editorial policy of many media, there is no other way to survive than to have a steady respect on behalf of the public, the signatories of the appeal say. The Commission members vow to monitor the work of journalists to detect any case of deviation from moral principles. “We have no other way to carry out our mission than by notifying the public opinion about the cases, which, in our opinion, will go beyond the limits of the ethical norms in exercising the job of a journalist. In the long run we need to have a one-color press – the one of the color of the truth, if we consider ourselves to a guild and independent,” said Ion Bunduchi, a member of the Commission and the executive director of the APEL Broadcasters Association. The Commission wants to define the model of an ideal journalist or media outlet. “We'll analyze the petitions coming from mass-media. We'll monitor journalists, especially in electoral campaigns, in order to see why we don't accept models of genuinely good, uncompromised journalists. We'll try to figure out why the Moldovan press does not feel the backup of the public opinion, it stringently needs to be able to be genuinely free and equidistant,” said the Commission chairman, Constantin Partac. Other speakers have opined that accepting strict ethical norms should in no way transform the journalist in a stereotype, without own views and freedom to think. The Romanian europarliamentarian Mihaela Popa told the sitting of the European Parliament on July 7 that the EU should be more careful in monitoring the observance of the freedom of speech in Moldova. “Unfortunately, at the EU's border – in the Republic of Moldova – the Journalists Union claims there are “anti-press acts”, committed from 2001to 2008 by the Chisinau Government. Those facts are pointed out by reports and monitoring sessions carried out by local and international media NGOs,” reads a press communique by the europarliamentarian. According to Mihaela Popa, Moldovan journalists invoke the Government's attempt to subdue media politically, application of informational censorship, criminal search of journalists for airing opinions contradicting the state's policy, etc. – “what finally touches on the political pluralism and, implicitly, the democracy.”