Aidan White: Romanian press lacks credibility

Aidan White, a general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, opined in yesterday's press conference in Bucharest that Romanian press was losing its credibility. He claimed there was an unhappy connection between politics and the media, which was harming the independence and ethics of journalists. He argued that more and more journalists were part of the corruption effecting on the media. The IFJ official underscored one didn't have the right to ask for changes unless one was changing. He outlined the word "corruption" was too often used in Europe to describe Romania and Bulgaria and opined that trust in the mass media could be regained by efforts. As for Romania, he claimed there are too many politicians pursuing business interests in the media.
As for the President of Romania Traian Basescu, the IFJ official described his speech as fully inadequate and permeated with clues against journalists' right to get information and ask questions. Cristian Godinac, president of the MediaSind, argued in his turn that the President's offenses against the political class and his verbal violence against journalists were a perilous precedent and he described it as scandalous that journalists should become a laughing stock for politicians. (...)

T.B.
Ziua Vineri 22 Iunie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english