A group of journalists and opinion leaders have launched a platform titled “Stop Media Banˮ which is designed to defend the rights of journalist and to promote the freedom of expression. This is a nongovernmental and nonprofit organization, one of the initiators, journalist Alexei Lungu, announced in a news conference hosted by IPN.
The journalist invited all those who feel today intimidated to join in their initiative. “We want to become an alternative to all the platforms that already exist in the Republic of Moldova so that we gather together journalists from all the media institutions with political beliefs of the left, the right, the center, regardless of the type of beliefs, religion, sex so that we reach a point when we will become an important voice at the local and international levels,” stated Alexei Lungu.
The journalist noted that in Moldova we cannot speak about European practices with regard to the press that treats problem subjects. “At our request to provide at least one proof that we violated the audiovisual legislation in the Republic of Moldova through the angle of propaganda or disinformation, we received absolutely no response. The fact that the trial in the case of particular TV channels does not advance shows once again that justice does not want to assume particular political decisions. I now call on all the independent media experts to conduct an independent examination, together with us and other fellows, and to show at least one propaganda news item at the TV channel where I work or worked,” said the TV presenter.
Alexei Lungu noted that this platform is a priority for the whole Moldovan society. “Today, the government in Chisinau acts not in a pro-European way by far and I don’t know if we can reach the European Union through the Kremlin as what the Republic of Moldova, the President, the Parliament and the Prime Minister do now is nothing but use of practices borrowed from the Russian Federation or from Asian dictatorships. And then the question is: Where do we go or what point do we want to reach?ˮ asked the journalist.
The TV presenter also said that those from the government should realize that the journalist cannot be an enemy and can be only a friend if this is treated correctly and this knows how to work correctly. “The goal of the journalist is to help the government and the opposition to transmit their messages and to guide them to the right path. Moreover, it is the person on who the quality of the information transmitted to the ordinary citizen, how this is perceived and what opinion the people form about the government depend the most,” said Alexei Lungu.
Another platform member, journalist Svetlana Curmei said that there is no professional organization in Moldova which would represent the interests of all the journalists, regardless of their civil or professional position. The intention to create this platformă appeared against the background of the current situation in the national press. Since last summer, the freedom of expression and the freedom of opinion of the representatives of the Fourth Estate have been violated, but these freedoms are enshrined in the country’s Constitution and in the Code of Audiovisual Media Services and all these violations are hidden behind the screen of the fight against propaganda and disinformation.
Note: IPN News Agency offers the right of reply to persons who consider they were touched by the news items produced based on statements of the organizers of the given news conference, including by facilitating the organization of another news conference in similar conditions.
