IOANA LUPEA: “The responsibility of selling a media product is more important than serving information to the reader.”
The marketing has won the war against the ethics of the media. During the battle, the press has lost it’s credibility. While the number of sold copies and the rating are continuously dropping, no one seems to be guilty for it. A wrong diagnosis leads to a wrong therapy. The Romanian media is treated with extreme shots of media scandals.
Satisfying the audience’s desires while ignoring it’s real interests, is more successful strategy in the show-society, as Emil Hurezeanu said, than the political show, of which, the public is already warned.
While the political message is seen as leery, the public doesn’t feel like defending itself against the journalistic message. The local journalist stands as a fake hero, or a mocker. The fake hero, who is half journalist, half politician, is easily spotted. He is present in every TV show, doesn’t express opinions based on facts and has no doubts. He judges and shares justice in the name of the people he has in-depth visions and a monstrous sensitivity. His subtle mocking turns every serious matter into a cheap vaudeville. The press itself is being mocked during the daily press review TV shows from Antena 3 and Realitatea TV.
Even the types of journalistic texts were enriched, with the prank-news. Here are two recent examples: the article in “Jurnalul National”, about a certains Elena Basescu, who received an apartment from state, from mayor Traian Basescu and the announcement of Adrian Nastase’s resignation from the National Council of the Social Democrat Party. The Elena of “Jurnalul National” is not the President’s daughter. The newspaper created a complete story, a prank, from a simple and obvious name coincidence.
Neither Adrian Nastase’s resignations wasn’t a fact, it was just a prank, coming from Realitatea TV, during a very serious program. What are the benefits of deliberately promoting something fake as an information, even if it was meant to be a joke? It might be me, loosing my sense of humor, or maybe, as the innocent victim of both pranks, my reaction is overacted. I got hoaxed, as probably did some of the readers of yesterday’s “Jurnalul National” edition and some of last week’s audience of Realitatea TV.
The fact that “Jurnalul National” tries to promote its image as the only anti-Basescu newspaper and Realitatea’s desire to satisfy its owner by huge ratings. Yet, this is no excuse for repeatedly deceiving – I repeat, even as a joke – the public opinion. These proves a lack of respect for the journalism and the public.
How are people supposed to choose from fake and real news? “Evenimentul zilei” was publicly made responsible for an offensive article about the former Minister of Justice, Monica Macovei.
EVZ was judged by the former Romanian Press Club and has apologized. I seriously doubt that “Jurnalul National” or Realitatea TV will ever apologize. Any trick can be pulled off, if the responsibility of selling a media product is more important than serving information to the reader. The rating’s pressure gives birth to living chicks.
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