Activity Report 2011 Mission Promote and Support Professional Journalism to Assert Quality, Free and Viable Media CONTENTS
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Activity Report 2011 Mission Promote and support professional journalism to assert quality, free and viable media CONTENTS FREE MEDIA PROMOTION CAMPAIGNS 4 TRAINING 6 PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH: MASS-MEDIA MONITORING 18 MEDIA LAW AND POLICY 23 CHIŞINĂU PRESS CLUB 27 RESOURCE CENTER 29 PRIORITIES FOR 2012 30 INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATIONS 31 ASSEMBLY OF FOUNDERS AND SENATE 32 TEAM 33 FINANCIAL REPORT 34 ANNEX: CALENDAR OF EVENTS (January–December 2011) 37 Free Media Promotion Campaigns Press Freedom Days Campaign, May 2011 Organizers: Independent Journalism Center optimism voiced in the memorandum, there (IJC), Association of Independent Press (API), is still much to be done in this respect. Even Acces-Info Center, Center for Investigative though we are no longer burdened with Journalism, (CIJ), Broadcasters Association marches and protests, sometimes the press is (APEL), Press Freedom Committee (PFC), too focused on statements of politicians while Young Journalist Center of Moldova (CYJM). the problems that bother citizens are ignored,” Financing: OSCE Mission to Moldova he said. The full version of the memorandum can be found on the IJC website at: http:// www.ijc.md/index.php?option=com_ The 2011 edition of the Press Freedom Days content&task=view&id=610 (in Campaign was launched on 3 May at a press Romanian) and http://www.ijc. conference. On that occasion, the organizers md/eng/index.php?option=com_ disseminated the Memorandum on Press content&task=view&id=306 (in English). Freedom in Moldova from 3 May 2010 to 3 Another activity carried out by IJC during May 2011 as well as the schedule of activities Press Freedom Days 2011 was the “media planned during the campaign. critica” campaign. It aimed to analyze the way the press in Moldova manipulates the public The signatories to the memorandum stated to help media consumers assess the relevance that the press in Moldova was not yet free. of information, to identify deviations from The situation has improved in the past year professional standards and the principles as shown in the international press freedom of balanced and impartial reporting and to rankings that placed our country a few distinguish between propaganda and genuine positions higher than in the previous years; information. Mass media experts analyzed a however, we have not yet progressed to the number of print and broadcast articles and category of a country with a free press. developed informative case studies. In May, the experts presented these study cases at Commenting on the memorandum, IJC various lyceums in the country: Alecu Russo director Nadine Gogu mentioned that in Orhei, Ion Vatamanu in Străşeni, Mircea it highlights the main factors that have cel Bătrân in Chişinău, Puhoi in Ialoveni contributed to the improvement in the Press and one more in Chişinău and one more Freedom Index in the Republic of Moldova. outside. The subjects of the studies were “The improvements we can see today are due the publications Flux, Timpul de dimineaţă, to the enhancement of the legal framework, Săptămâna and Jurnal de Chişinău and TV to the emergence of new private media station NIT. A gender perspective was offered outlets and to the reforms enacted by the in three of them. Samples of video and print public broadcaster that were also noticed materials that were biased and designed to by international organizations,” she said.. manipulate public opinion were presented Nevertheless, the signatories consider that along with examples of irresponsible and there is still much to be done before having a biased journalism. free press. “In spite of certain improvements, Also during Press Freedom Days 2011, the politicians unfortunately continue to try IJC launched an information campaign on to manipulate media,” said Petru Macovei, freedom of the press, freedom of opinion API director. In the same vein, Vasile Spinei, and expression and the right to information Acess-Info Director said that in spite of the and publicized several articles from the 4 / Independent Journalism Center - ACTIVITY REPORT 2011 Press Freedom Days Campaign, May 2011 Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, • an exhibit on Media and Children’s media law, and the European Convention Rights including information on the rights of on Human Rights on freedom of the press, children; a person’s right to information and mass • a nationwide young journalists forum media’s duty to accurately inform the public including the Transnistrian region and (Art. 34 of the Constitution of the Republic Gagauz-Yeri. of Moldova), on ensuring freedom of opinion and expression (Art. 32 of the Constitution The full agenda of the 2011 campaign can of the Republic of Moldova; Art. 10 of the be accessed at http://www.ijc.md/index. European Convention on Human Rights). The php?option=com_content&task=view&id=60 information campaign lasted a month. 9&Itemid=1 http://www.ijc.md/index.php?option=com_ The campaign also included the following content&task=view&id=610 (in activities: Romanian) and http://www.ijc. • adopting a new code of ethics for md/eng/index.php?option=com_ journalists in Moldova; content&task=view&id=306 (in English). • a meeting of the Investigative Journalists Network; (The UN General Assembly in 1993 • public presentation of the draft of the proclaimed 3 May as World Press Freedom broadcasting code; Day. Since then, it has been celebrated each year beginning on that day.) Independent Journalism Center - ACTIVITY REPORT 2011 / 5 Training School of Advanced Journalism Partners: Missouri University School of Jour- in September, the SAJ organized the second nalism, Paris-based Journalism School and teacher training module led by Dutch trainer Training Center Abi Daruvalla who introduced new teaching Financing: Free Press Unlimited, The Nether- methods to the SAJ trainers. The first module lands, Embassy of Finland in Bucharest, Na- was held in July 2011. tional Endowment for Democracy (NED) The campaign for admission to SAJ for the The School of Advanced Journalism (SAJ) 2011–2012 school year was in two stages: graduated its fifth class of students on 17 June advertising on radio and TV outlets through- 2011. The ceremony took place in Comrat and out the country and the traditional admission was attended by representatives of the local caravan. SAJ management visited the universi- press. For 10 months, the 14 graduates ac- ties of Bălţi, Cahul and Comrat. On 1 Septem- quired practical skills for working in a news- ber, the sixth class of SAJ students started their room. They learned how to write a news story, courses. From the 45 applications received, how to take pictures, how to produce radio and the special commission selected 19 students. TV programs, how to write political, economic During the first days of training four candi- and social stories and how to do investigative dates retired, thus for ten months 15 students reporting. All subjects were taught by media will study standards and practices of western professionals from Moldova and from abroad. journalism and how they can be applied in Moldova. The class consists of 1 man and 14 Between July and August, SAJ organized a women with an average age of 24. Compared number of paid training sessions for the gen- with previous years, their backgrounds are eral public. The first training course was on more diverse from food technology and philol- diction and speaking techniques and was con- ogy to law and political science. Five of them ducted by Nina Vartic, lecturer in art speech have studied journalism before. and diction at the Academy of Theater and Music in Chisinau. The opening ceremony took place in the The second course was titled Photos in Online presence of SAJ trainers, and a meeting with Publications and was led by David Vargas who previous SAJ students was also organized on is a journalist, photographer and trainer in the first day. The graduates of the previous five press design based in San Jose, Costa Rica. The classes shared their experiences with their new third course was on video editing and was con- colleagues and gave them advice on how to ducted by Dumitru Marian. Seven participants overcome the difficulties awaiting them during learned how to use video equipment as well as their studies and their future employment. how to edit and adjust a video sequence for TV. During the first two months of studies, the From 9 to 11 September, SAJ organized its students took an introductory course to help traditional summer camp for graduates to them better understand the specifics of their provide training in writing media projects. For chosen field: Introduction to Journalism and three days, 16 SAJ graduates studied the main News (trainers Liliana Viţu, News Director at aspects of writing a project. They were guided Moldova 1 TV and Vitalie Dogaru, journalist at by local trainers Corina Cepoi and Angela Publika TV). In the news segment, the students Vacaru. At the end, the graduates presented were taught the structure of news, the lead, 13 projects, 7 of which received funding. Also how to work with sources and background. 6 / Independent Journalism Center - ACTIVITY REPORT 2011 School of Advanced Journalism In the photojournalism class, trainer Nicolae The first semester of the 2010–2011 school Pojoga (lecturer in the Journalism Depart- year ended with classes on radio journalism ment of Moldova State University) shared his (trainers Vasile Botnaru, director Radio Free experience in photography, photojournalism Europe; Liliana Barbăroşie, reporter Radio and the use of Photoshop. Students in previous Free Europe; Ludmila Bogheanu, SAJ academic years had requested more practical exercises coordinator and Charles Maynes, freelance and training in using equipment in addition to radiojournalist in Moscow) and TV journal- going to different places to take pictures and ism (trainers Artur Corghencea, news director write text. To that end, changes were made in at Pro TV; Yana Cozari, freelancer and Angela the curriculum this year to emphasize practical Gonţa, presenter at Pro TV).