Activity Details (ID# 12571)

Activity Synopsis

The general objective of the seminar was to discuss ways of keeping balance and impartiality in news and political programmes of public service broadcasters. A particular practical objective of the event was to elaborate a number of recommendations and suggestion addressed to the staff and management of TRM 

The seminar was very well organised by the Moldovan Electronic Press Association. The participants received files containing various relevant documents, including the Moldovan legislation concerning broadcasting in general and public service broadcasting in particular, as well as a Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers of the CoE, translated into Romanian (Rec (96)10 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the guarantee of the independence of public service broadcasting).

The objective of the seminar was reached: in the light of the CoE standards on the guarantee of the independence of public service broadcasting, and the British and Polish experience in this area, the participants examined the activity of the national public service broadcasting organisation – “Tele-Radio Moldova”. They discussed the problems that this broadcasting company tries to overcome in the process of transformation from a former state broadcaster into a genuine public service broadcaster. They noted that, beyond several technical financial and professional problems, the major problem today remains the lack of an efficient mechanism or guaranteeing editorial independence and institutional autonomy to “Tele-Radio Moldova”. Public authorities must show political will to stop interference in the activity of the public service broadcaster, so as it could be able to struck a right balance in its news and political programmes. The example of BBC was relevant in this context.

The participants also discussed the role of self-regulation in keeping balance and impartiality in news and political programmes.
 

At the close of the seminar, the participants made a series of conclusions. The journalists and managers from Tele-Radio Moldova expressed their wish to continue the discussions and training regarding the impartiality and quality of broadcasting programmes. 

Media professionals from the national public broadcasting company Tele-Radio Moldova and from local public broadcasting organisations, politicians, legal and media experts, representatives of civil society. 

Mr Anthony O'SHAUGHNESSY, Assistant News Editor, BBC Wales (UK); Mr Eugeniusz SMOLAR, Senior Fellow, Center for International Studies, Warsaw (Poland). 

Mr Eugen CIBOTARU, Media Division, DG-II.