The Press Council sent a number of notifications to the General Media Group after a number of persons submitted complaints against the TV channels that form part of this media trust. One of the notifications was addressed to the director of Publika TV after the leader of the Party “Action and Solidarity” (PAS) Maia Sandu and chairman of the Party “Platform Dignity and Truth” (PPPDA) Andrei Nastase signaled violations of the norms of the professional journalistic ethics in the program “Fabrica” on July 27, 2017, when forged images of the PAS news conference taken from a ‘clone’ website were presented and commented, IPN reports.
Maia Sandu said moderator Alexei Lungu and special invitee Cristian Tabara allowed crass misinformation when they presented false information as the team of Publika TV was present at that news conference and filmed it and thus had the authentic images. In another complaint about the same program, Andrei Nastase said that by quoting media clones the opposition is subject to lunching, while the consumers of media products are manipulated and misled. The complainers requested the Press Council to assess this case from the deontological viewpoint. In this connection, Press Council member Ludmila Andronic said this is a case of intentional presentation of erroneous information and such acts run counter to the essence of the profession of journalist.
Another notification was submitted to the companies General Media Group, Telestar Media and Radio Media Group and to the managers of Publika TV, Prime TV, Canal 2, Canal 3 and Prime FM following a complaint submitted by entrepreneur Aliona Mandatii, who is the deputy head of the PPPDA. She said she became the target of a degeneration campaign, complaining about manipulation and distortion of the reality in the news bulletins of Publika TV, Prime TV, Canal 2, Canal 3 and Publika FM, which informed that Aliona Mandatii refused to pay for being connected to the water supply and sewerage system and for the consumed water. Attending the meeting of the Press Council, Aliona Mandatii said the presented information if false and is used with the aim of discrediting her. The Council identified a series of deviations from the Deontological Code and recommended the TV channels to offer the right to reply without distorting the message.
Also, Sergey Bagrin from Rezina complained that Publika TV, Prime TV, Point.md and Moldova24.info reported that he is investigated for tax evasion and is an activist of the PPPDA, which is not true. The Press Council identified a serious of violations in this case too. It also notified the editorial board of Point.md after gender expert and human rights activist Polina Cheastuhina complained that the information about a petition signed by a group of civic activists against the participation of priests in school year start festivities was distorted. In the article and picture published by Point.md, this initiative was presented as of the sexual minorities, while Polina Cheastuhina was presented as the president of GenderDoc-M even if she signed the petition in her own name, not in the name of this organization. The Council ascertained a series of violations in this case.
The Press Council also examined three complaints against the editorial board of E-sanatate.md submitted by the directors of the district hospitals of Causeni and Cantemir and the director of “V. Ignatenko” Hospital of Chisinau. These said the information about the lack of money for paying salaries to the medical personnel published in an article on his portal is not correct. The directors demanded that the information should be denied. The Council determined that the journalistic deontological norms haven’t been violated in this case, but recommended the portal to ask for the opinions of all the relevant sides in the future.
