The role of the press in the election campaign is fundamental as the image of the candidates is primarily built by the mass media. Also through the agency of the press, the candidates can address a large number of citizens, the standing expert of IPN’s project Igor Boțan stated in IPN’s public debate “About old and new faults of electoral process 2020 inveigled by the press and old and new faults of the press, unveiled by electoral process”.
The expert noted that he himself formed his impression about each of the current candidates for President through TV, the internet or newspapers. If a candidate does not come to TV channels for the reason that he is at meetings with citizens, he anyway comes to TV channels affiliated to him in the evening and is visible to the public. The candidates meet with 1-2% of those who will vote for them when they travel to localities. The other people form their impressions about the candidate owing to the press.
The expert noted that compared with other election campaigns, the current campaign is much the same and the holdings affiliated or led by politicians remained the same. “We do not see the progress expected by everyone,” stated the expert.
In another development, Igor Boțan said the journalist who is institutionalized has rights and obligations and can ask for information from the local public authorities, while these are obliged to provide the requested information. A blogger, who is very intelligent and persuasive, can be as good as a journalist. However, an institutionalized journalist must ensure precision, accuracy. “For a blogger, I can feel only sympathy or antipathy,” he stated.
The debate “About old and new faults of electoral process 2020 inveigled by the press and old and new faults of the press, unveiled by electoral process” was the sixth installment of the electoral series “We and the President: who elects who, who represents who” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
