Capitol: NGO -- Data și ora publicării: 20.11.2003 01:17:00

MEDIA-CONFERENCE-CONCLUSIONS / The conclusions of the first meeting of the journalists, editors, employers, advertisers and advertising customers

Bucharest (MEDIA EXPRES) / November 19, 2003 / The Media Convention, which took place in Sinaia, between October 31 and November 2, has been a premiere: for the first time, the main characters of the department – journalists, editors, press employees, advertisers and advertising customers – gathered in order to discuss the corruption mechanisms in the media industry, according to an official statement published on the FreeEx electronic discussions forum.

This is the fist step to the development of a dialogue meant to lead to the refreshment of the mass-media business field and to the promotion of some good editorial and business practices.

The participants to the Convention agreed that, although it is not possible to talk about a juridical corruption, there are still immoral media practices and corrupted mechanisms which harm the independence and validity of the press. They expressed their worry about the development of these practices, and about the fact that they are being promoted with a normative value. However, they also mentioned their ability of searching for solutions to diminish the corruption.

The main press corruption mechanism that the participants identified was the unhealthy relationship between the editorial and advertising fields, practised in both directions: on the one side, the pressure of the advertising upon the editorial side, with the specific goal of assuring a favourableimage for the company; on the other side, the editorial blackmail upon the advertiser, in order to gain contracts.

The develpoment and the proliferation of corruption in press are facilitated by the distortions of the media sector, which, in Romania, is over-populated, with no financial facilities for the employees and submitted to political influence that are sometimes so powerful that in various cases the political factor overlaps the media owner.

The main identified distortions are: the non-transparent use of public funds; the violation of the existent legislation (the law of public acquisitions, the law of free information access, the law of transparency, the law of competition, the anti-corruption legislation, Labour Code etc.); lacks in legislation (Penal Code, Labour Code, the law of public acquisitions, anti-corruption legislation); the subordination of public institutions to political and economical interests, with direct intervention upon the mass-media.

The worst factor regarding this case is the passive, non-reacting attitude in front of the corruption acts inside the media teams. This attitude is generated by some sort of obedience, or by the growing vulnerability of the journalist.

The main factors that generate the journalist’s vulnerability are: the lack of professional education; the lack of juridical protection; and the economical context.

The participants to the Sinaia meeting also identified the following possible solutions, which would diminish the corruption mechanisms in the media sector: an open dialogue inside the departmentthe organisation of professional and intra-departmental training; the development of a monitorisation system regarding the financial resources and the way they are used; further contacts with international organizations.

The participants also convened upon some common projects, which will soon be developped.
(MEDIA EXPRES)

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