"Teleradio-Moldova" enjoys the support of the Council of Europe. Marija Pejčinović Burić: Strengthening the capacities of the Public Broadcaster is also important in the context of EU accession
During her stay in Chisinau, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, also visited the Public Broadcaster "Teleradio-Moldova" . This fact is due to the important role that the Council of Europe gives to media freedom in general, and to the public broadcaster in particular, said the official from Strasbourg.
With the support of the Council of Europe and the European Union, the "Telefilm-Chisinau" Studio was reopened at the Public Company "Teleradio-Moldova" and the Continuous Training Center was founded. The joint program of the European Union and the Council of Europe "Promoting media freedom and pluralism in the Republic of Moldova" for 2020-2024 also contains an important component that is focused on increasing the professionalism of the national public broadcaster. It refers to increasing the independence and capacity to produce political and social shows, diversifying editorial policies, convergence of TV, radio and online news and increasing the capacity of the Ombudsman Institute.
"I believe that in a democratic society an important role belongs to the public broadcaster. And having said that, I can tell you that we in the Republic of Moldova work a lot with our office in Chisinau to assist the public broadcaster as much as possible to improve the role it has to play in any democratic society, to get the freedom of the mass media, to strengthen the capacities of the public broadcaster, because it really plays an important role in the context of the accession to the European Union", said the general secretary of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric.
Being asked about the temporary suspension of the licenses of the six TV channels, access to information and the plurality of information sources in the context of the fight against propaganda, the European official mentioned that there is really a dilemma between ensuring security, on the one hand, and respecting human rights , on the other hand. But, in this situation it is very important that the regulatory institutions enjoy the credibility of the citizens and have an integral activity.
"Many societies need to regain trust. And I suspect that, in the event that the Audiovisual Council carries out its activity, an absolute integrity of the activity of this Council is required. An integrity that is guided by standards, by rules, and that the rules are applied without any discrimination. Reactions should always be very clear. And most importantly, any action, any sanction, must be explained", said Marija Pejcinovic Buric.
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe also mentioned the crucial role played by the media in covering the elections. The media must inform the citizens based on the best standards, without having hidden interests behind it, said the European official. During the visit to the Public Broadcaster "Teleradio-Moldova", the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, gave an interview to Moldova 1 TV. It can be watched on Monday, April 3, at 19:45 in the program "The Diplomatic Dimension".
