The Novelty of the Romanian Press

Lorela Corbeanu

School of Arts and Science Nottingham Trent University - UK [email protected]

ABSTRACT High level political corruption has been a constant problem of post-communist Romania, long indicated by international bodies. This continuing situation raises questions about the capacity of the Romanian institutions to reform and fulfill their duties. Among these institutions, the Romanian Press occupies a special place due to its nature and to its connection with politics. This paper will offer an image of the relationship between the post- communist Romanian press and the political world and will point towards a few elements that make it a unique case that deserves to be carefully researched.

KEYWORDS Mass-media, moguls, press, political corruption Romania.

INTRODUCTION Romanian media moguls are different from In a general negative context, marked by other cases in the post-communist world. reports from the European Commission I will examine two different Romanian (EC Reports on Romania, 2011 – 2004) cases, Sorin Ovidiu Vantu and Dan and other international bodies, pointing to Voiculescu and compare them to other two the severe high level political corruption cases, Paval Rusko form Slovakia and problem, the role of the press as guaranty Vladimir Zelenzy from the Czech Republic. of democracy, transparency and state of The reason I have chosen these cases is to law becomes more relevant than ever. The exemplify how tight the relationship role the press plays in these kinds of between media and politics is in Romania. troubled situations is the ultimate test to I shall continue with a trip through the show the level and the quality of press in history of the Romanian press to underline a particular country. its main aspects and evolutions in order to underline the elements that make the

Romanian case a unique one. Studies of the Romanian post-communist press as well as studies concerning the post-communist press in other South- ROMANIAN PRESS–POLITICS, A Eastern European countries have been COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP trying to provide the public with a clearer In November 1999, the last Thursday image of the processes the written media before an election, the final confrontation has been passing through since 1989 and between the two candidates, Traian their consequences. Basescu, the Romanian President at the time, supported by the Liberal Democrat Party, and Mircea Geoana, Head of Senate The proposed topic is large and the and president of the Social Democrat research involved considerable. This is Party, candidate supported also by the why for the purpose of the present paper I Liberal Party and Minorities parties, took shall start by examining if and how the place in the Parliament Palace.

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example. Wishing to make sure the Basescu had built his campaign on an anti- political party he had set up would get into corruption discourse, pointing very loud parliament, Dan Voiculescu headed and clearly towards the mass-media towards an electoral alliance with the tycoons, their business and political Social-Democrats who, after 4 years in implications. Due to this discourse his power, marked by harsh economical crises access to mass media was severely and corruption accusations were almost restricted and a dirty campaign against sure to lose the power and not get enough him started. A little more than a week seats in the Parliament in order to make a before the final tour the TV stations strong opposition. The alliance with a presented a little movie recorded in 2004, different political party was a solution for during the electoral campaign for them too. Before September 2004, when presidential elections. The election which the electoral agreement between the two consecrated Traian Basescu as Head of parties was signed, Voiculesc`s TV State in front of Adrian Nastase. The Station, Antena 1, had been criticising the movie showed Basescu during an electoral Social-Democrat Government. The mood meeting, hitting a boy in the crowd. The sweetened during their alliance with the late and unconvincing reaction of Social Democrats but immediately after President Basescu, put in front of this elections, Voiculescu`s party broke the movie for the first time, directly, during a alliance and accepted the invitation to TV show, made him lose precious form the government with Liberals and percents. Mass-media continually showed Democrats. Antena 1 Tv station started the movie for days, debates over debates criticising its boss’ former allies ( Agentia took place, and many could foresee his de Monitorizare a Presei, 2004). As we sure defeat. He needed something which can see from this example, mass-media is looked worse than the movie given to the a platform to promote political parties, a press by one of his former co-operators. instrument to win election, a link to get The saving solution came from his political alliances. counter-candidate, Mircea Geoana. The paparazzi recorded him one day before the Sorin Ovidiu Vantu and Dan Voiculescu are final confrontation paying a visit, at the just two examples. One is a businessman, middle of the night, to the private house the other one is a politician and a of one of the media tycoons so much businessman. Lets see now a little more of blamed by candidate Basescu. The hit was their background. short and fatal: “Did you like it at Mr. Vantu’s, last night, Mr. Geoana?” The lack of an inspired answer cost Geoana the Sorin Ovidiu Vantu. Considered to be the Presidential Portfolio. 5th richest man in Romania in 2008, with a fortune ranging between 800 and 850 million Euros ( Apetrei A, 2008), Sorin As we could see from this example, the Ovidiu Vantu is the owner of Realitatea- candidate almost certain to win elections Catavencu media trust that, before the felt the need to make sure, at the last economic crisis started in 2008 comprised moment, that he would benefit by the 4 radio stations, 8 magazines, 2 support of media mogul Sorin Ovidiu newspapers, 4 TV stations and a news Vantu. By chance, the visit is recorded by agency. Mass media is not the only paparazzi and 2 days before the elections business he has had but information about the entire country knew about Geoana`s the rest of his economical encounters is nocturnal visit to the most controversial unclear as he prefers to develop his media mogul in Romania. businesses through intermediaries and to use off shore vehicles. Among the A different example of the troubled businesses developed by him was the relationship between politicians and mass- National Investment Fund, a pyramidal media is the manner in which Dan structure that swallowed the saving of Voiculescu, businessman, politician and about 300.000 Romanians before media mogul has been using his media crashing, in 2000. He sold the company empire in order to sort out political deals. that administrated the Fund to Ioana The general elections in 2004 are just an Maria Vlas who afterwards was made

18 responsible for the Fund crash. Sorin didn’t avoid Voiculescu either (Popescu A Ovidiu Vantu has never been sent to jail. L, 2009). Ioana Maria Vlas spent about 7 years in jail, being released in December 2010.Sorin Ovidiu Vantu is suspected of These are just 2 examples out of the 5 having had connections to the former cases of moguls that dominate the Communist Security as an informer, under Romanian media. Lets go now and see the the conspirational name, Nus ( Tapalaga D stories of two moguls in other post- and Prisacariu C, 2010). communist countries.

Dan Voiculescu is a politician and a The Slovak Pavol Rusko was minister of business man. As a politician, Voiculescu Economy, set up a political party (Alliance set up the Humanist Party of Romania in of the New Citizens) and set up Markiza, 1991 and changed its name to the the biggest commercial TV channel in Conservative Party in 2005. He has been Slovakia. In the parliamentarian elections an MP between 2004 – 2007 and then in 2006, his party didn’t manage to get starting in 2008 until the present day. He into parliament. Markiza is now part of is also Vice-president of the Romanian Central European Media Enterprises. Senate. In April 2007, the Parliamentary Commission lead, Dan Voiculescu The Czech Republic has its own local managed to suspend the acting Head of media mogul,Vladimir Zelezny. MP in the State. The report written by the Czech Parliament between 2002 – 2004 Commission was adopted by the Romanian and member of the European Parliament Parliament, President Basescu being between 2004 – 2009, Selezny was the suspended from his function. The national first CEO of TV Nova, a popular Czech referendum that followed reconfirmed television station. His influence as media President Basescu. mogul over Czech public affairs was so big that he was referred to as “central As mass-media owner, Dan Voiculescu Europe's Rupert Murdoch". In 2001 he built an empire comprising: 6 TV stations, was publicly arrested and charged with tax 5 newspapers, 6 magazines, 2 radio evasion and defrauding creditors in stations and another 7 businesses in connection with the Nova company and in printing and producing entertainment. As 2009 the Prague High Court upheld a two- with Sorin Ovidiu Vantu, Dan Voiculescu is year suspended sentence with a four-year suspected of secret police involvement probation for Mr. Železný. He was found too. The National Council for the Study of guilty of tax evasion. the Secret Police Archives ( CNSAS) revealed that Dan Voiculescu acted as an It is easy to see now the differences informer for the Secret Police of the between the Romanian media moguls and Ceausescu`s regime (Craig S and the other two. First and the most Comptom, J 2006). Dan Voiculescu denied important difference is the size of their the findings and blamed President Basescu media empires. for launching a campaign to undermine him. The second big difference lies in their different pasts. The Romanian ones seem In order to get rid of this verdict, Dan to have a history that starts early, during Voiculescu challenged the law for CNSAS Communist times. Between the rumours and the Constitutional Court in Romania concerning Zelezny`s connections to the decided in 2008 that the law was Communist political police and the verdict unconstitutional (Vintila C &al, 2008). In given by the Romanian Courts is a 2010, the Court of Appeal decided that difference in degree. Dan Voiculescu was indeed an informer for the Secret Police. On 10th of March 2011, the final decision of the Court said tjat Let’s go now and see what are the indeed he had connections to the secret elements in the political and in the mass Police. Similar to Sorin Ovidiu Vantu, the corruption and money laundry scandals 19 media evolution that differentiate Romania up with thousands of dead people, from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. compared to the negotiated and relatively calm manner the change of regime happened elsewhere (Ciobanu M, 2007, The literature about Romania’s evolution p.1433). after the 1989 Revolution is rich and plenty of material tries to portray the evolution of the Romanian press too. A Romania’s political transition towards few aspects should retain our attention democracy was marked by strong due to their impact. instability and amplified by the significant economic turmoil, specific to the shift from a strictly controlled economy to a free A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT POLITICAL market one. Things started calming down EVOLUTION in Romania in 2004, when Romania joined The nature of the Communist regime in NATO and embarked on its new, achieved Romania is the first aspect that makes the objective, the EU. relationship between the Romanian press and politics different from similar cases as the Czech Republic and Slovakia. WHAT HAPPENED TO MASS MEDIA This is the context of the Romanian press after the 1989 Revolution was born. Low living standards and mass deprivation, low educational standards, The Romanian mass media bursted with disintegration, even destruction of new media enterprises, new publications, indigenous cultural tradition and identity, new private radio stations and the control non-existence of any of any organized of ownership switched from state to the dissident movement, harsh persecution of private media companies. Issues such as dissidents and discouraging of any thought financing resources, production costs, tax of further opposition to the Communist payment, unverifiable circulation and an system, isolated intellectual dissidents, underdeveloped advertising market were party “liberals” non-existent, no earlier not considered insignificant notions at the attempts to top-down reform (Karol time ( Coman, 2010; p.588 - 589). Jakubowicz, 2005, p.3) were the ingredients of Romanian communism. The entire moment was marked by lack of instruments to regulate behaviours, lack In terms of the mass-media, the powerful of vision and lack of values. Romanian Communist Party was the sole owner, having a monopoly over all the Despite the explosion of new, free media, media materials, finances and resources, specific to all the former communist and control over transportation, countries, the moment immediately after telecommunication and means of the revolution brought a sluggish start to production. The Communist Party development, with foreign capital being benefited this way by a rapid broadcasting slow to enter the Romanian media of their own mass media product and the compared to Hungary, the Czech Republic elimination of undesired products (Coman, and Poland. Such development was also 2010; p587). In these conditions, the marginal, being most visible in the Romanian press couldn’t be but mere financial and economic press, women and docile instruments for control and entertainment press ( Coman, 2010). propaganda.

Very soon, the euphoria of the beginning The manner in which regime change was cut by the economic problems that happened in Romanian in 1989 is the became more visible and constituted second element that differentiates major topics of public debate. The Romania from countries like Hungary, advertising expenditure started rising and Poland and the Czech Republic. The lack of the development of private ownership and an organized dissidence with which to the richness of the funds coming to negotiate regime change determined the Romanian media facilitated the birth of so bloody and violent revolution that ended called media moguls. (Coman, 2010, p.

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588). The literature in the area identifies compared to other countries, and they three types of media moguls: the new control the entire Romanian media owners of the new post-communist media, landscape. They have a controversial past the journalists-managers, considered to be and they are powerful. So powerful that reminiscent of the communist times and they can suspend an acting Head of State who own shares in media enterprise and as in case of President Basescu in May thirdly, the star journalists that benefit 2007 and determine that the favourite from hidden sources ( Coman, 2010, candidate loses presidential elections, as p.594). in case of Mircea Geoana in 2009.

In the world of the new Romanian media, They are the product of the much troubled pecuniary rewards and influence are the political and economic evolution Romania main objective. The media moguls have has been passing through since the 1989 the tool, the media they own, and the Revolution and one can`t explain their methods: they assert themselves as appearance without digging deep in the “specialists in everything” and are ready Romanian economic and political post- and willing to promote different economic communist evolution. and political interests. They become filters through which any political initiative, politician, party or societal group has to REFERENCES pass in order to become known or Agentia de Monitorizare a Presei Report, recognized. They get a lot of power and 2002, p. 25. money by proceeding like this but at the same time they contribute to the lack of Agentia de Monitorizare a Presei Report, real media freedom. They also take from 2004, p. 11. politicians ‘thank-you-for-not-bothering- me money’ and rewards for not investigating other things. ( Coman, 2000, Alina Apetrei, Cum arara topul celor mai p.591). As the Report provided by the bogati miliardari din Romania. Agentia de Monitorizare a Presei Accessed on 27th of February 2011. underlines, most media institutions work only as instruments of their owners for getting influence, for blackmailing and for Andrei Luca Popescu, Politicieni, datori attacking their political and economic milioane de Euro la Fisc opponents (Agentia de Monitorizare a Accessed on 27th of February 2011. Presei Report, 2004, p. 11).

Carmen Vintila & al, Dan Voiculescu a In a tumultuous political and economic învins CNSAS, accessed on 27th of situation, these ingredients have February 2011. facilitated the Romanian press to have the coordinates it has today. In respect of this mix between money and politics two Ciobanu Monica, 2007, Romania’s Travails declarations made by two of these media with Democracy and Accession to the EU, moguls are emblematic. In an interview Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 59; No. 8, given a few years ago to the National December 2007, 1429-1450, Rutledge Television station Sorin Ovidiu Vantu Taylor and Francis Group. declared that in Romania, politics is the most profitable business. Earlier, Adrian Coman, Mihai, 2010, “Journalistic Elites in Sarbum Romania`s main media mogul Post-Communist Romania”, Journalism after the Revolution told the BBC that Studies, 11: 4, 587 — 595, First published nobody can compel him to abide by a bad on: 08 July 2010. tax law ( AM Pippidi, 2000).

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Lauk, Epp, 2009, “Reflections on Changing Comptom Jim, The struggle for civil society Patterns of Journalism in the New in post-revolution Romania, accessed on EUCountries”, Journalism Studies, 10: 1, 26th and 27th of February 2011. 69 — 84.

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