Mass media use sensations in articles about trafficking, violence and migration, report

The mass media in Moldova focus on shocking titles and sensations when they cover cases of human trafficking, domestic violence and migration, shows a report on the monitoring of 18 media outlets, Info-Prim Neo reports. “We aimed to follow the periodicity by which the mass media cover the monitored subjects. They give priority to migration, while the trafficking in persons and domestic violence are less frequently addressed. The local papers do not express a great interest in covering these topics,” said Olga Ceaglei, of the Journalistic Investigations Center. According to the report, the number of press releases about cases of trafficking, violence and migration has increased, while the news agencies publish and broadcast more such news. The press is also interested in editorials. However, the reporters write do not many articles on their own initiative. The authors of the report say the principles of objectivity and correctness are not fully respected. Each second material has only one source, while the materials based on press releases present the information unilaterally. The journalists use figures to show the size of the phenomenon, but seldom use original approaches. The authors recommend the journalists to show a responsible and professional attitude when covering subjects concerning domestic violence, trafficking in persons and migration. The editors and reporters should protect the identity of the victims and the data that can help identify them. The presumption of innocence should be also respected. “The newspapermen should not look only for sensations about the human trafficking and violence and should analyze such phenomena in a detailed and profound way,” says the report. The monitoring within the Media Coverage of Human Trafficking, Illegal Migration and Domestic Violence Project started on September 1, 2010.