Mass media in Moldova hasn’t made much progress during 20 years, opinion

The mass media in Moldova hasn’t made much progress in the past 20 years, but the results achieved must be approved of, the head of the Radio Free Europe Office in Chisinau Vasile Botnaru said in a program on Radio Chisinau (Arena FM), Info-Prim Neo reports. “We want results immediately and a press like in the UK. But it is only 20 years since we started to breathe freely. The true democracies were cultivated during hundreds of years. We must bury certain Soviet generations that consider there should be one party, one newspaper,” said Vasile Botnaru. He also said that a part of the blame is borne by the people as they do not punish the dependent press. “The people do not change the channel. Another part of the blame is borne by the rulers who come to power and act exactly like their predecessors. This is inertia. They believe that if they came to power, the press must serve them,” said Vasile Botnaru. He stressed that the mass media in Moldova likes the diversity. “We have talk shows and many channels. I like that there is competition between the glamour magazines. But I don’t like the creation of cheap scandals and news agencies that lay false emphasis in the news programs. If instead devoting increased attention to Parliament, the TV channels will cover the festival “Eugene Ionesco”, maybe more people will stat to have such preferences,” said Vasile Botnaru. He also said that he accepts the Moldovan journalists to be called ‘rabid dogs’ only if the officials are afraid of them. “Unfortunately, the politicians are not afraid. “Ziarul de Garda” makes different revelations about high-ranking officials and nothing happens to them. We bark and the caravan goes on, but it will be like this only up to a point. Only when the population reacts to what the media reports, will the authorities fear the journalists,” said Vasile Botnaru. The Journalist’s Deontological Code of Moldova was signed by over 60 national and local media outlets.