News portal urged not to broadcast shocking images

The Press Council recommended a Moldovan news portal not to broadcast videos showing suicide methods and gruesome details of crimes, accidents and natural disasters. The Council made the recommendation after a video showing how a politician from Pennsylvania shot himself in a news conference was published on the news portal, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Council’s secretary Petru Macovei said the portal violated the practices of responsible journalism and certain deontological norms. As a result of discussions, the Council decided that the portal should remove the video and not publish similar images and details that can affect the psychological integrity of the consumers, especially children and youth, in the future. “The video showing a dead man in blood and in general this suicide method were published free on the website and all the users cold access it and send it to other consumers. There are psychically unstable persons who can repeat the suicide. This case is out of the ordinary. The Deontological Code says no gruesome details and suicide techniques can be broadcast,” said Petru Macovei.