An example from Tulcea: an investigation published by PressOne “shows how county councilors Petre Badia (ALDE) and Valentin Moldovianu (PSD) and Tulcea deputy mayor Dragos Simion acted during the last mandate to maintain warm and cordial relations with journalists.”

“Using public funds to purchase positive media coverage,” as Cluj PressOne claims, is becoming an increasingly common standard. “Increasingly, journalists no longer question the government, but support it.” The site investigated the situation in Tulcea County.

The money circulating is not impressive. However, financial relations are supplemented by reports of connections between politicians and journalists, PressOne reports.

For example, the history of political-football-press relations. “At the end of 2013, a new football team, FC Delta Dobrogea, was founded in the municipality of Tulcea, funded by tens of thousands of lei by the County Council and other local sponsors. The board of directors consisted of seven people, including journalist Cristian Dogara, according to the articles of association initialed and signed by the then president of CJ, Horia Teodorescu.”

Dogaru was also a journalist appointed ‘in charge of animation’ at the Danube Delta Sustainable Fisheries Local Group Association (FLAG Delta), according to a document on the NGO’s website. The head of the project was PSD district councilor Valentyn Moldovianu,” PressOne reports.

“Over a period of time, Dogaru wrote several positive articles against the association, promoting on his news site the media campaign ‘Successful projects through FLAG Delta’, through which the district town halls received European funds through this NGO,” PressOne investigation revealed. .

“Dogaru was an employee of FLAG Delta between 2015 and 2022, according to his wealth declarations. The association was founded in 2010 on the initiative of CJ Tulcea, the Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (ARBDD) and other fishermen’s associations in order to develop the fishing sector. To close the circle, the Moldovian-Dogar “couple” is also in the program and financial commission of the District Football Association. (Photo: Dreamstime.com)

You can read the PressOne investigation here.