Amendments have been proposed to the Moldovan Journalists’ Code of Ethics, originally issued in 2011, in a bid to keep pace with the rapidly changing media realities. The amendments and additions have been discussed Friday at a roundtable meeting held by the Press Council.
A set of amendments clarify the situations a journalist should steer clear of in order to avoid conflicts of interest. Others introduce journalistic safeguards for subjects at risk of discrimination. Further provisions address the phenomenon of fake news, disinformation and manipulation.
“I hope the improved provisions will be an occasion to unite journalists around the deontological standards, offering practical guidance to journalists and making their job easier and of a better quality”, said Viorica Zaharia, president of the Press Council.
Ion Bunduchi, director of the Electronic Press Association and a member of the team that drafted the amendments, said the new version of the Code better defines the notion of a journalist. A human rights emphasis has been added to protect vulnerable groups, including children, from discrimination, and to promote tolerance.
Petru Macovei, director of the Independent Press Association, noted that the new Code has almost doubled the number of its articles to 89. Petru Macovei says that journalists should do their job with great responsibility, while the best way to avoid new and harsher restrictions from the government is to develop deontological rules and stick to them.
The Press Council is to put the final touches to the new Code next week before it is published and sent out to every media outlet in Moldova.