Quality of reporting on vulnerable persons has improved, API

After a year of monitoring the quality of media materials reporting on vulnerable persons, experts have found the situation has improved: subjects are more diverse and detailed. However, the language still needs to be worked on. The findings of the monitoring, which covered over 80 journalistic materials submitted as part of a contest, were presented on Friday at a roundtable organized by the Independent Press Association (API). “There has been an improvement in the quality of materials concerning vulnerable people. We've observed a diversification of themes. I personally identified 22 thematic areas. At the same time, some journalists still use obsolete language, labeling people with disabilities 'handicapped', 'invalid', 'deaf', 'blind' and so on. There were also some materials whose authors failed to talk to more than one source, rendering those materials superficial”, said Ion Bunduchi, an expert in the project and also the executive director of the media NGO APEL. In his opinion, the greatest achievement over the past year is that journalists started to use an investigative approach, too, when covering such issues. “It is key that journalist convey a nondiscriminatory message. It is a deontological duty of journalists to promote tolerance in society”, stated Petru Macovei, director of API. The monitoring was conducted as part of the project “Preventing Discrimination through Print Media”, implemented by API with support from Soros Moldova Foundation.