Experts from different fields in mass media met on Wednesday 2nd December in
Trattoria della Nonna restaurant in order to debate about informative manipulation
phenomena, the dangers that it carries and the proper antidote for spectators,
in a discussion moderated by journalist Lina Grau and carried by the Independent Journalism
Center from Chisinau with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Between the
participants they were different mass media professionals as Cristina Mitu,
from the Audiovisual Media Coordinating Council (CCA in Moldovn initials); Serghei Cornetchi from the
Parliamentary Commission for the Mass Media; Ion Bunduchi, mass media expert
and Vitalie Calugareanu, journalist.
During the
session it has been discussed about the different ways of showing manipulation
phenomena in mass media and the diverse methods to combat it, funneling the
discussion in 2 aspects present in mass media: the internal manipulation and
the external one, been analyzed which is propaganda in Moldova, its
repercussion when informing about Ukraine current events and the importance for journalists to be aware of this danger.
Bunduchi expressed that are the institutions which are in charging of completing the Agenda Setting
thanked its events and occasions, besides TV has a great manipulative force,
stunting citizen’s mind. Because of it, he claims an antidote against that
manipulation we suffered based in a critical vision and learning from the
Ukrainian propaganda. He added that in this information era where all of us we
have free access to different sources of information is making us prone to
manipulation. So, from his point of
view, mass media consumers can be manipulated in two ways: when we lack of information and when we have an excess of it.
Mitu stated that one of the patterns for fighting mass media
manipulation is by doing a monitoring process of different sources of information
with the purpose of detect manipulation cases, regretting that the CCA cannot
apply any sanctions due that in the Audiovisual Code from Moldova does not
exist terminology as propaganda and manipulation. For that, CCA needs to
rummage in certain dispositions from the legislation with the purpose of saving
pluralism of opinion, sociopolitical equilibrium and the accurate, objective
and equidistant information. Also, she remarked that in the last times, the
channels use more and more manipulation techniques. In addition, during 2015,
CCA, regarding foreign propaganda, stopped activity of Russia24 channel in
Moldova, emission accused of being spokesman from the Russian State Propaganda.
Cornetchi added that nonetheless this situation; they have been approved 5 laws about the
modification of the Audiovisual Moldovan Code with the purpose of introducing
the concept of manipulation.
For Calugareanu,
the problem goes further the manipulation issue. He insists in the
reluctances of some mass media businessman by respecting the Ethical Code
of Journalism.
Also it has been
spoken about the new European Union directive about the Audiovisual Code and
due to that experts say that the Broadcasting Code from Moldova will require
changes. They signed also as forms of manipulation the silence and lying in
mass media, showing as an example the 2009 protests in Chisinau, moment where
the main channels from the country ignored them in favor to entertainment
programs. So, it is confirmed that silencing facts establish the manipulation of the
public opinion.
As a conclusion,
guests were agreed in making a balance and having personal assessments when
watching different informations, using a critical vision. From the other hand,
it has been put as an example Germany: to create a syndicate which legitimize
approval in press, marking that because that reason, Moldova and Romania is
more inclined to manipulation, because there does not exist such syndicate which
approves that informations. Likewise, experts recommend to mass media
spectators to encourage self mind, to use alternative sources of information,
including those from Europe and to investigate manipulation cases in press.
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