Journalistic Investigations Center

Press Release

Print media are further paying increased attention to the subject of migration, trafficking in human beings and domestic violence. However, only a low number of the items published observe the correctness and journalistic ethics requirements. The main source of information for such subjects has been the press releases of law-enforcement bodies. These are the two conclusions of the seventh quarterly report on monitoring media coverage of trafficking in human beings, migration and domestic violence, prepared by the Center for Investigative Journalism.

According to the monitoring team that has had in sight 18 national and local newspapers in the period from March to May 2012, most of the items that spontaneously appear on the newspapers agenda are not sufficiently well documented. Many stories are missing a second source while the information in the releases issued by the prosecutor’s office or the police are not verified by the journalists. For the most part, the news stories describe singular cases without completing them with information from independent sources or at least with statistics. Some newspapers violate the right to the protection of victim’s identity and presumption of innocence. There have also been cases when the journalists used inadequate terms in relation to the victims of human trafficking.

In the past 3 months, for the first time there have been monitored 4 newspapers from the Transnistrian region (with a population of about 450,000) – Pridnestrovye, Profsoiuznye vesti, Pravda Pridnestrovya and Novaya Gazeta. They have published a total of 8 items directly or indirectly referring to migration, domestic violence or trafficking in human beings.

In total, the 18 national newspapers monitored have published 210 items about migration, domestic violence and trafficking in human beings, by 97 less than in the previous period (December 2011 – February 2012). Most of the items – 144 - have been on migration, other 44 refer to domestic violence, and 54 focus on trafficking in human beings. Numerically speaking, most of the items have been published in the newspapers Adevărul, Nezavisimaia Moldova, Timpul, and Ziarul de Gardă. In the case of local/regional newspapers, the most interested ones in these subjects have been Cuvântul Liber, Cuvântul, Glia drochiană and Unghiul.

As in the previous periods, the trend has been to report on migration, domestic violence and human trafficking through short news items. More than half of the items on the subjects researched, and namely 118 out of 210, were presented in the form of news stories. The journalistic investigation, reportage and interview were less encountered genres.

The authors of the report recommend to the journalists to take a responsible and professional attitude when approaching subjects about domestic violence, trafficking in human beings and migration. The editors and reporters should protect the identities of the victims of domestic violence and human trafficking as well as the data that could lead to their identification (locality, age, degree of relation and other relevant details) and take into account the principle of presumption of innocence. The journalists should give up sensational approaches and give priority to detailed and in-depth analyses of such phenomena.

Publications monitored:

Timpul de dimineaţă, Jurnal de Chişinău, Ziarul de Gardă, Adevărul, Moldova Suverană, Nezavisimaia Moldova, Panorama, Spros i Predlojenie, Cuvântul, Cuvântul Liber, Observatorul de Nord, Unghiul, Ora Locală, Glia Drochiană, Gazeta de Sud, Ecoul nostru, Est Curier, Expresul de Ungheni, Pridnestrovye, Profsoiuznye Vesti, Pravda Pridnestrovia and Novaya Gazeta.

The media monitoring report has been prepared with the support of the International Organization for Migration as part of the partnership program among the media, civil society and public institutions in preventing and combating trafficking in human beings that is part of the project “Prevention of Corruption and Impunity in the Fight Against Trafficking by Empowering the Media and Encouraging Cooperation between Civil Society and Law-Enforcement Bodies,” funded by the US State Department.

Center for Investigative Journalism

21 June 2012