The Broadcasting Coordination Council (BCC) warned publicly PRO TV Chisinau channel for not respecting the deontological norms and for not protecting the victim in a report that provided information that revealed the identity of a minor who was allegedly the victim of a rape. The case was made known by the Press Council, IPN reports.
According to the Press Council secretary Petru Macovei, it is not for the first time that the channel commits such violations. “Unfortunately, PRO TV, in this and other cases, thinks only about ratings, not the destinies of these children who are supposedly victims,” he stated in the meeting of the BCC. He added that after that report was broadcast, the child needed psychological assistance.
The channel’s representative Radu Ciumac said that the deontological norms in that report weren’t violated as the image was blurred. The child’s name was made known not by the journalist, but by his grandmother. The TV channel’s interest in such cases is not related to the rating as they actually want to sensitize and educate society.
Monitoring Division head Dinu Ciocan, a BCC member, said the violations are evident and PRO TV Chisinau was already warned on similar grounds. If it commits violations again, the channel will be fined.
