TI Moldova awards best journalists who covered corruption

Transparency International Moldova (TI-Moldova) awarded the best journalists who covered the phenomenon of corruption in the print media. The Top Prize went to Cornelia Cozonac, of the Journalistic Investigations Center, Info-Prim Neo reports. Pavel Paduraru, of the newspaper “Timpul”, won the Second Prize, while the Third Prize was given to two journalists – Ruslan Mihalevski, of “Supply and Demand”, and Tatianei Iatsko, of “Ziarul de Garda”. During the award ceremony, TI-Moldova executive director Lilia Caraschuk said that this is the eighth contest of the kind and the quality of the articles improves every year. The contest involved 20 participants who presented over 80 articles. The works were assessed according to such criteria as the investigative character of the information, argumentation, ethical approach, development of intolerance of corruption. Jury member Efim Obreja said he was impressed by many articles as the journalists started to investigate subjects that are less accessible and are constantly looking for evidence. However, the journalists need the support of nongovernmental organizations and should establish cooperation relations with the state institutions so as to improve the situation. Another jury member Tudor Topa, who is a member of the Writers Union and the Journalists Union, said he has formed part of the jury for many years and read many articles. “The investigations became deeper and assume a great, but reasonable risk,” he stated. According to Tudor Topa, the journalists of the local press encounter more difficulties as after they make public their investigation results they meet more often with the persons involved in the illegalities they covered. TI-Moldova has organized the contest in Moldova for eight consecutive years and this year launched the book “Journalists against Corruption” that includes many of the articles of the contestants.