NGOs are recommended to educate the information consumer

Ion Bunduchi, head of the Electronic Press Association (APEL), recommends the NGOs, especially local ones, to involve more in educating the information consumer, by teaching him to distinguish true information from manipulation, Info-Prim Neo reports. During debates regarding the coverage of Gagauz-Yeri governor elections, Bunduchi said the principle “I support him who pays more” is still applied. “Journalists must realize the electoral campaign is short and political competitors can come to power for 4 years and that’s all, while the journalistic profession lasts a long time after these events are gone”, he said. Petru Macovei, director of the Independent Press Association, stressed that as long as the public had access to multiple information sources, it should avoid those which fail to inform correctly and impartially. “The civil society should make the voter understand the difference between a news and something else. Besides, journalists must be motivated to give up manipulation practices and this can be done through monitoring of mass media institutions by the civil society”, he said. Macovei thinks positive changes will come if the civil society become more active and involved.