Emilia Șercan, reaction after thousands of journalists showed solidarity following the attacks against Recorder. “We were overwhelmed”
Protest organized in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in support of journalist Emilia Șercan, in Bucharest, on April 9, 2022. PHOTO Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea
“We were overwhelmed by the avalanche of signatures, which is why processing them and updating the list of signatories went quite hard,” Emilia Șercan reacted on Wednesday evening, after the journalists of several Romanian newsrooms, representatives of civil society and NGOs, showed solidarity, in an unprecedented gesture, and condemned the recent attacks launched against the Recorder newsroom.
Thousands of journalists signed, on Wednesday, an open letter in which they denounced the attacks from some state institutions and some television stations following the publication of the documentary “Captured Justice”
“At this time – 22:25 (Wednesday evening, no) – the list gathers more than 4,600 signatures, a new update will be made during the course of tomorrow. (….) The number of signatories of the letter of support to the Recorder editorial office, in the face of attacks from within the judiciary and from part of the media, took us, the small group that was in charge of making it, by surprise,” wrote Emilia Șercan, in a message published on her Facebook page.
“Thank you all, once again, for the solidarity shown to the Recorder colleagues! The initiative group was formed by Mona Dîrțu, Codruța Simina, Ovidiu Vanghele, Ciprian Ciocan and the undersigned,” said the PressOne journalist.
Public protest against 'repeated and aggressive' attacks on Recorder
In the open letter, the signatories condemned the attacks launched against the Recorder editorial office by some state institutions and some television stations that “seek to promote conspiracy theories and discredit”.
The initiators speak of attacks including from the ranks of the judicial authority.
Public protest of dozens of institutions and names in the press after the “repeated and aggressive” attacks on the Recorder by some magistrates and some television stations, after the documentary “Captured Justice”
“The last week's assault on the Recorder newsroom – materialized by innuendo, invective and insults – is, fundamentally, an assault on an entire profession,” reads the letter, which speaks of the central role of the journalistic profession, “in informing citizens about how people who hold public office carry out their duties.”
“We consider particularly serious the accusations made against the work of Recorder journalists in the press conference organized by the Bucharest Court of Appeal (CAB), as well as those in the press release of the Section for Judges of the Superior Council of the Magistracy,” the document also reads.
The letter recalls the moment in the extraordinary session of the CAB, when the leadership of the Court referred to the Recorder investigation, accusing it of being part of a “campaign to destabilize the judicial power”, which it sees as a “public incitement against the constitutional order”.
Moreover, Liana Arsenie, the president of the CAB, made the same serious accusation against the Romanian Television – public institution that rebroadcast the Recorder documentary “Captured Justice”.
The statements from the same register were also made in a press release published by the Section for Judges of the Superior Council of the Magistracy, say the signatories of the letter.
“The speech of the judicial authority to the journalism practiced by the Recorder editorial office – a journalism exercised, and in this case, exclusively in the public service – manifested itself in a record never seen in the entire history of the judicial system,” according to the letter.
The link where the letter can be signed by those who wish can be accessed HERE.
The CNA reaction
Later on Wednesday, the National Broadcasting Council went public in a press release and announced that it was “analyzing” the shows indicated by the authors of the letter.
In the statement sent by CNA, the institution reaffirms its “role and commitment to protect freedom of expression and freedom of the press, as well as the public's right to fair and pluralistic information.” Thus, the Council conveyed that it “firmly” supports the press in Romania, and “journalistic investigations, including those critical of public authorities, represent an essential element of a functional democracy”.
CNA's reaction after the letter signed by over 1,000 journalists, after the attacks on the Recorder by some television stations
“The CNA does not evaluate the validity of the evidence or the editorial content of an investigation, it does not replace the courts and it does not censor investigative journalism. Our role is to check how the audiovisual media services comply with the legal obligations regarding correct information, the presentation of facts in good faith, ensuring pluralism of opinions and balanced debate”, stated CNA.
The audiovisual regulatory institution explained, however, that it can intervene through self-reporting or following reports received, but it is obliged to comply with formal procedures, legal deadlines, the right of defense of broadcasters and the principle of proportionality of sanctions.
Currently, broadcasts reported in the public space as disinformation to the Recorder are already being analyzed, CNA added.
