The list of media outlets undesirable for the government could be extended now that the parliamentary elections are closer. Furthermore, the banning of some of TV channel’s access to the head office of the ruling party could have a continuation and such bans could also cover the public institutions, executive director of the Association of Independent Press Petru Macovei was quoted by IPN as saying in a program on TV8 channel.
“Now we cannot say we have a rosy situation as regards the access to information either, but we will yet witness attacks and personal intimations against journalists who do not give up and state their opinion. Things will definitely worsen, but the effect will be the opposite of the one expected by those that impose bans,” stated Petru Macovei.
He noted that the situation of the press in the Republic of Moldova, especially of alternative voices, is now more difficult than under the Communist rule. “We now witness an action that fully disqualifies the ruling party,” said Petru Macovei.
Journalist Dumitru Mișin said the ruling party’s deeds can no longer be qualified. The state policy that has effects on the people is created at the head office of the Democratic Party and it is the journalist’s right to go there and put questions that are of interest to the public. “When you impose such bans you practically damage your image. I cannot understand how much lack of perspicacity one must have to hamper the access of journalists, yesterday of those of TV8, today of those of Jurnal TV, tomorrow of those of another channel,” he noted.
Journalist Anatol Ursu said that after the whole team of 10TV channel of which he formed part resigned for censorship reasons, the members of this team have now to struggle for their cause. “We do not have what to wait for. There are online platforms that are much more popular than TV channels. There are possibilities of developing independent alternative projects and we have to only act. As long as we are closed, they shut us up because we bother them. If we bother them, it means we follow the correct path,” he noted.
The journalists of TV8 and Jurnal TV weren’t allowed to enter the head office of the Democratic Party to attend the party’s press briefings for the reason that these channels resort to manipulation. Also, the team of 10TV channel made common cause with a colleague who was dismissed for broadcasting a news item about the criticism leveled by a MEP to the Moldovan authorities for their decision to expel the seven Turkish citizens.
