The editorial freedom of the press is interdependent with financial freedom. This statement was made by journalist Viorica Zaharia during the public debate “The new media law: updates, benefits, risks”, organized by the IPN News Agency. According to the journalist, the economic vulnerabilities of media organizations can directly affect editorial activity. At the same time, any attempt to influence the press through funding mechanisms must be made public in order to protect the independence of newsrooms.
According to Viorica Zaharia, press freedom is closely tied to the financial sustainability of media institutions. The journalist noted that the position of the Republic of Moldova in international rankings reflects a high level of freedom of expression.
“The freedom of the press is interdependent with financial freedom. According to the Press Freedom Index, this year, the press in the Republic of Moldova ranks 31st in the ranking made by the international organization “Reporters Without Borders”. And this is the best position our country has ever held. It is a good position and largely reflects reality,” explained Viorica Zaharia, the president of the Council of Experts, mandated by the Press Council to examine complaints about violations of the provisions of the Journalist’s Code of Ethics.
The journalist drew attention to the fact that, although there is freedom of expression in the Republic of Moldova, many media institutions remain dependent on external funding. “In the Republic of Moldova, there is freedom of expression, but we have financial constraints. We have had the experience of cessation of funding from USAID. There are some media that, if funding from donors ceases, could halt their activities”, the journalist specified.
Referring to the Amnesty International Moldova report on self-censorship in the media of the Republic of Moldova, Viorica Zaharia said that any pressures exerted on journalists by conditioning access to grants represent serious accusations, which must be made public if they are real.
“The Amnesty International Moldova report has sounded alarm bells regarding the existence of self-censorship in the journalistic environment of the Republic of Moldova. In this report, journalists are quoted under the protection of anonymity, stating that they have received signals from the government that if they criticize the administration, they will no longer benefit from grants. I find this to be an extremely serious statement. If such influences existed, I do not understand why the journalists did not publicly denounce them. If this is indeed the case, because I have doubts that it is, we will slide towards a serious situation. Journalists must denounce such influences. Our weapon is transparency and the word”, Viorica Zaharia further stated.
The public debate “The new media law: updates, benefits, risks” is the 353rd edition in the series “Developing political culture in public debates”. The IPN Agency carries out this series with the support of the German Hanns Seidel Foundation.
