Media not doing enough to promote transparency and responsibility in combating corruption, IJC survey

The Moldovan media are not doing enough to promote economic transparency and responsibility of the authorities in combating corruption, and are addressing corruption-related topics with insufficient professionalism, - this is the general conclusion of the final monitoring report on media coverage of corruption, elaborated by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC). The report was presented on Thursday, January 22, at the meeting of the Chisinau Press Club, Info-Prim Neo reports. The report, covering 16 media outlets, revealed a certain bias in addressing the topic of corruption, due to its sensitivity in the context of the forthcoming parliamentary elections. “In reporting on corruption-related topics, a group of media outlets spoke of the central authorities in laudatory terms, criticizing the local authorities representing other political groups than the ruling party. Another group of media outlets covered the actions by the central authorities in a critical manner”, said Liliana Vitu, one of the authors. According to her, generally the media limited themselves to small-scale corruption, and didn't reveal any serious cases of corruption. It was usually bribery, rather than influence peddling, misuse of public money, or other, more serious, forms of corruption. “Reporters got but low-ranking officials in their net, and no top dignitaries, which shows the superficial attitude of the press”, explained media expert Petru Macovei. He remarked that the media outlets have limited themselves to disseminating statements launched at news conferences or spreading out press releases issued by interested groups. Often the right of reply was neglected, and only a few outlets provided follow-ups to previously covered events. The number of properly documented journalistic investigations was very limited: 24 reports in 14 months, of which only one was broadcast. As a rule, no official reaction came following the publishing of the investigations. The journalists attending the Press Club voiced a number of reasons for the fewness and the superficiality of the investigative articles. “Reporters aren't motivated enough, financially, to conduct investigations”, said Oleg Brega of Jurnal TV. “Sources refuse to speak for the record and often solicit anonymity”, explained Grigori Valovoi, editor-in-chief at Novaia Gazeta newspaper. “Reporters started losing their curiosity” remarked Aneta Grosu, editor-in-chief for Ziarul de Garda weekly. According to acting IJC director Nadine Gogu, the 16 outlets were monitored in the period from October 2007 to November 2008. In this period, they published a total of 3,911 articles dealing with corruption. The report was elaborated by the IJC as part of the Strengthening Civil Society Monitoring Capacity in Moldova (SCSMCM) Program, implemented by the Academy for Educational Development (AED) with technical assistance from the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX). The SCSMCM program is funded by the Millennium Challenges Corporation (MCC) and managed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) within the framework of the Threshold Country Program (TCP) for Moldova.