Freeex Report P R E S S F R E E D O M I N R O M a N I a 2 0 0 9
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FREEEX REPORT P R E S S F R E E D O M I N R O M A N I A 2 0 0 9 - Member of the Reporters without Borders Network - Bucharest 2010 FREEEX REPORT P R E S S F R E E D O M I N R O M A N I A 2 0 0 9 - Member of the Reporters without Borders Network - This report was compiled within the FreeEx Program of ActiveWatch - the Media Monitoring Agency. Freedom of Expression Program - FreeEx was started by ActiveWatch - the Media Monitoring Agency in August 1999, with a view to contribute to the protection and promotion of the right to free expression and to press freedom. ActiveWatch - the Media Monitoring Agency publishes annual reports on press freedom situation in Romania. This report is funded by the Open Society Institute (OSI). The content of this report does not necessarily reflect the opinion of OSI. Authors: Liana Ganea Răzvan Martin Ştefan Cândea Maria Adriana Popa Vlad Ursulean We wish to thank to all those who contributed to this report: Nicoleta Fotiade, Ionuț Codreanu, Ioana Avădani, Cezar Ion, Petrișor Obae, Dan Duca, Mihaela Enache – Mihiș. We wish to thank for the expertise provided to the FreeEx department during the entire year: Mircea Toma, Diana Hatneanu, Dan Mihai, Bogdan Manolea, Doru Costea, Iulia Mălăescu. We wish to thank all journalists who published news and features about the media, and especialy to HotNews, Mediafax, Paginademedia.ro and ReporterVirtual.ro Layout and design: Alexandra Cândea Dan Ichimescu Donors: Open Society Institute © Media Monitoring Agency Member of the Reporters without Borders Network Address: 98 Calea Plevnei, BL. 10C, sector 1, Bucharest, Romania Mailing: CP 2 OP 67 : 021 - 313 40 47 : 021 – 637 37 67 [email protected] www.activewatch.ro; www.freeex.ro Cont IBAN: RO 83 BTRL 0450 1205 A793 02XX Banca Transilvania Sucursala Ştirbei Vodă Content Metodology ........................................................................................................... 6 General context ..................................................................................................... 7 1.1. General considerations ...................................................................................... 9 1.2. Casuistry .................................................................................................. 10 Media PRO. Intact. Ringier .............................................................................. 10 Realitatea - Cațavencu .................................................................................. 10 Adevarul Holding ......................................................................................... 11 Other companies ......................................................................................... 11 1.3. Cable ...................................................................................................... 11 1.4. Advertising ............................................................................................... 12 1.5. Sales, audiences, circulation .......................................................................... 12 2. Assaults, threats and insults.................................................................................. 14 Photographers beaten or detained by the police .................................................... 14 TV studio guests swear and spit moderators ......................................................... 14 Mayors give journalists curses instead of explanations ............................................. 14 Journalists beaten at the butchery .................................................................... 15 Mircea Băsescu cursed a reporter, “How well told you my brother!” ............................ 15 The Minister of Culture has made a journalist an „idiot” and a „liar” .......................... 15 Journalist threatened with rape ....................................................................... 15 Marius Tucă threatened a colleague journalist ...................................................... 15 Becali cursed journalist Emilia Şercan ................................................................ 15 Football boss Marian Iancu threatened to „destroy” ProSport ..................................... 16 Football players aggressive with the press ........................................................... 16 3. Pressures from authorities. Political and economic pressures .......................................... 17 3.1. Pressures from authorities. Political pressures ..................................................... 17 Prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) seized journalists’ computers 17 Journalists abused in the Republic of Moldova ....................................................... 17 China Embassy had Dalai Lama removed from B1Tv program ...................................... 17 Censorship on an article about minister Bazac ...................................................... 17 Blogs censored in editorial offices ..................................................................... 18 Commemoration with riot police ....................................................................... 18 Rock concert barred in Oradea by local councilman ............................................... 18 Convention barred by Onesti PSD mayor .............................................................. 18 Mayor Solomon threatens Mircea Dinescu............................................................. 18 Right to public meeting impaired in Craiova ......................................................... 18 Photography exhibition barred by Bucharest City Hall .............................................. 19 No room for journalists from “moguls” in the presidential aircraft .............................. 19 Intact TV stations – again a matter of political protocol .......................................... 19 CNA trounces mockery of “Luceafărul” ............................................................... 19 CNA forbade “beheading” in munchies commercial ................................................ 19 3.2. Pressures by advertising ................................................................................ 19 Radu Mazăre .............................................................................................. 20 Ziua de Constanța, harassed by mayor Mazăre ...................................................... 20 Monica Iacob-Ridzi ....................................................................................... 20 Elena Udrea ............................................................................................... 21 Pressing on GSP ........................................................................................... 21 3.3. Pact with president contenders ...................................................................... 21 4. Access to public information ................................................................................. 23 Mogoș vs. the autonomous administrations .......................................................... 23 The accreditation rules of the Chamber of Deputies ............................................... 23 The Trade Register ....................................................................................... 24 5. The insult, the calumny, the right to private life, the interdiction of the right to profess ......... 25 Băsescu vs. Cristian Oprea .............................................................................. 25 Băsescu vs. Patriciu ...................................................................................... 25 Sorin Ovidiu Vîntu vs. Băsescu .......................................................................... 25 3 Dinu Patriciu receives compensations from SRI ...................................................... 25 Andreea Marin and Ştefan Bănică jr. vs. Cancan ..................................................... 26 Mihaela Ghiuca ........................................................................................... 26 The Romanian Lottery vs. Radu Moraru ............................................................... 26 Ciutacu vs. “Nașul” (The Godfather) .................................................................. 26 Law cases at the European Court of Human Rights .................................................. 26 Interdiction of the right to profess journalism ..................................................... 27 6. Labor disputes. Collective Labor Agreement .............................................................. 29 Cristian Botez vs. Adevărul Holding ................................................................... 29 Cătălin Cocoș vs. Adevărul Holding .................................................................. 30 Alina Mirea vs. Adevărul Holding ....................................................................... 30 Cezar Ion vs. TVR ......................................................................................... 31 Rodica Culcer vs. TVR .................................................................................... 31 Adriana Vitan vs. TVR .................................................................................... 31 Lucian Ionică vs. TVR .................................................................................... 32 Luana Mureșan vs. Ringier .............................................................................. 32 Marian Gîrleanu vs. România Liberă ................................................................... 32 Florinela Giurgea vs. Teleson ..........................................................................