The Press Council identified a series of deviations from the Journalist’s Deontological Code and recommended publications to give the right to reply to the persons featured in the published articles. The recommendations were formulated following the examination of complaints submitted to the Council, IPN reports.
One of the complaints was filed by an ex-owner of Sun Communications against an investigation conducted by RISE Moldova last April. This revealed alleged connections between TV channel owners with companies featured in the Panama Papers investigations. The complainer asked to remove the text from the website because this causes damage to his professional reputation. The meeting of the Press Council involved both the complainer and the author of the investigation. The discussions centered on the substantiation of the assertions from the investigation and on the deontological obligation of the journalists to thoroughly examine and verify the described deeds. In the end, the Press Council recommended RISE Moldova to adjust the text of the investigation in English so that it matches the text in Romanian as different perceptions are thus created The complainer was recommended to ask the right to reply to the assertions that refer to him directly, while the portal was advised to publish the right to reply if this is sought.
Another complaint examined by the Press Council referred to the covering by the portal Deschide.md of a protest mounted by a group of activists against Ukraine’s intention to build hydroelectric plants on the Nistru. One of the protest organizers complained about defamation and transmission of messages that incite hatred in an article published on Deschide.md. After the Press Council informed about this case, the portal’s editorial staff published another article whereby it denies the accusations, but expresses readiness to publish the right to reply. After examining the article, the Press Council determined that particular provisions of the Journalist’s Deontological Code were violated, in particular as regards the presentation of opinions as facts and lack of the viewpoints of all the sides featured in the article. The complainer was recommended to ask the right to reply, while the editorial office was urged to give this right if it is asked.
The Council also examined a complaint of a person held in the Rezina Penitentiary against an article about pedophiles and maniacs published on the website of the paper “Komsomolikaia pravda v Moldove”, following a cultural event held at this prison. The complainer, who got life for murder, complained that the article stigmatizes him as he is associated with pedophiles and maniacs. The Council established that the paper violated the deontological provisions concerning nondiscrimination and recommended editing the text so as to exclude the stereotyped and discriminatory messages and to make a clear distinction between opinions and facts.
In the same meeting, the Press Council of Moldova decided to file a complaint to the commission for examining informational propaganda cases that was recently created within the network of journalistic self-regulatory bodies of the Eastern Partnership countries and Russia, concerning the dissemination of propagandistic messages and informational manipulation in the program “Time will show” on Pervyi Canal channel that is retransmitted in Moldova by Prime TV. In the immediate period, the Press Council will present its viewpoint on the propagandistic messages transmitted in this program to the international commission and will ask for an expert opinion on the matter.
