Journalist Viorica Zaharia was reelected head of the Council of Experts mandated by the Press Council to examine complaints and reports about the violation of provisions of the Code of Ethics for Journalists. The appointment took place at the first meeting of the new composition of the Council, IPN reports.

Viorica Zaharia is a journalist and media expert, with a master’s degree in journalism and communication sciences. She worked for various media institutions. She served as a lecturer at the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences of the Moldova State University, is an editor of the portal Moldovacurata.md portal. Since 2016, she has been a member of the Council of Experts and has so far held three terms as chairperson of the Council.

Between May 2024 and April 2026, the Council of Experts will consist of nine members selected at an open competition, including five representatives of the journalistic community. Viorica Zaharia was proposed by the Independent Press Association, Valeria Batereanu - by the editorial staff of the portal Diez.md, Mariana Colun – by the Media-Guard Association, Sergiu Niculiță – by the Alternative Media Association, while Olga Stăvilă – by the Investigative Journalism Center. There are also four representatives of consumers of mass-media products, namely: Natalia Porubin, proposed by a group of 10 consumers of media products, Ludmila Andronic - by the Foreign Investors Association, Daniel Goinic - by the Legal Resources Center, and Irina Gușan - by the Center for Information and Documentation on Children’s Rights.

At the meeting, there were presented the Rules of Procedure and the procedure for examining complaints. The members of the Council ruled on the admissibility of some of the complaints submitted to the Press Council in the previous period.

The Press Council of the Republic of Moldova is the national body for the self-regulation of the activity of media institutions and journalists, which operates based on the Code of Ethics for Journalists, promoting quality journalism and compliance with deontological standards.

The Press Council of the Republic of Moldova is a member of the Alliance of Independent Press Councils of Europe (AIPCE).