The winners of the contest “Reflection of corruption in the mass media” organized by Transparency International Moldova (TI-Moldova) became known. These are representatives of media outlets that published the best relevant investigations. Illegal party funding, hidden businesses of prosecutors, schemes to steal public funds are among the subjects of the about 60 competing articles, IPN reports.
The jury assessed the works presented by over 20 journalists and awarded the top prize to Pavel Păduraru of Jurnal.md. The second prize went to Iurie Sanduța of RISE Moldova and Julieta Savitski of the Journalistic Investigations Center of Moldova, while the third prize to Victor Moșneag of “Ziarul de Gardă” newspaper. The diploma of mention was bestowed on the team “With Sense” for the article “Ilan Shor: Indulgence in Hiding Place”.
Jury representative Ianina Spinei, a member of Transparency International Moldova, said the avoidance of conflicts of interest and bias was the main assessment criteria used. The jury also assessed the profoundness of documentation, the quality of argumentation, the ethical approach and development of an intolerant attitude to corruption. Each jury member could insist on a specific criterion, like risk or originality. “All the journalists worked very well with sources and found facts that definitely should attract the attention of the law enforcement agencies,” stated Ianina Spinei.
Assessment commission member Efim Obreja, of Transparency International Moldova, said the risk was the fifth criterion he applied. “Each journalist, when writing an article, always feels fear of not being affected, but this risk exists also in the case of investigation officers, prosecutors. We must all fight against this phenomenon. If we do not fight, it means we lose the war and this way cannot develop further,” he stated.
Viorica Țîcu, dean of the ULIM Faculty of International Relations, Political Science and Journalism, who took part in the examination of the articles, said the final decision was influenced by the practice and experience of journalists to investigate the chosen subject.
Lilian Chișca, deputy head of the National Integrity Authority, said their institution cooperates with investigative journalists who sometimes have more possibilities than their inspectors and obtain much more valuable information in particular cases.
Ecaterina Vâlcu, senior political affairs officer of the Office of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Moldova, said investigative journalism is a key element of a democratic society, particularly a society that tends towards democracy. “I hope a lot that the articles you wrote for this contest will be used by the authorities to launch an investigation or an inquiry. Your effort is also important for readers as it contributes to developing critical thinking and to making particular processes more transparent,” she stated.
Olga Rabei, legal program specialist of the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau, said the Embassy has constantly supported the government’s initiatives concerning the justice sector reform and the efforts to fight corruption. Unlike 2020, more journalists, primarily young ones, competed this year. “I see a pro-active attitude among journalists, but we are distressed as we see that corruption exists in society,” she stated.
Lilia Zaharia, journalist and executive director of Transparency International Moldova, noted that the journalist works in the public interests and the public authority is the target. While working on an article, the journalists, primarily the investigate ones, meet with impediments, such as the legislative framework that is not always friendly and technical challenges when the journalist does not find information of public interest, which should be available on public platforms.
The event also included the launch of the traditional compilation of TI-Moldova “Journalists against Corruption - XII”, which consists of investigations presented for the contest.
The event was held as part of the project “Mobilization of civil society for monitoring and sensitizing to the integrity of state institutions and anticorruption activities in Moldova” that is implemented by Transparency International Moldova with support from the Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Section of the U.S. Embassy in Chisinau.