MAKE: "Press freedom, a shivering chick whose nest has been turned into a ragged soup"

Dan Nicolaie
English Section / 6 octombrie 2023

Illustration by MAKE

Illustration by MAKE

Versiunea în limba română

Dan Nicolaie

Freedom of the press has returned to the public agenda after the editor-in-chief of our country's only printed sports newspaper, Gazeta Sporturilor, was dismissed by the owner, Ringier Sports Media Group. The discussion revolved around internal conflicts, pressures, the influence of betting houses, the role of advertising, editorial guidelines, and their boundaries. The public was not forgotten either, a public that we must admit, at the risk of causing offense, has become accustomed to obtaining information for free and often to freely criticizing those who deliver it, without discrimination between good and bad.

On this topic, I decided to approach someone from the media ownership sector. I turned to the most authoritative source in the field, the director of Ziarul BURSA. As readers know, he has been writing for the newspaper he leads for several decades, which raises the question of why he didn't "express" himself directly. Of course, he could have done so, but I thought it would be best to hear the journalist's opinion, so I asked for the owner's perspective. I must make a few clarifications to avoid any misconceptions. I have the advantage, as can be confirmed, that despite our fairly long collaboration, I allowed myself the luxury of not praising the director directly or indirectly, not even when he deserved it. But, to be truthful, we didn't turn a blind eye either when he annoyed me. Over 13 years ago, in July, I was hired at Bursa, and at noon, I resigned. I had a discussion with the director, explaining that the employee's attire didn't suit me, and he agreed to let me take it off but continue our collaboration as I wanted it at that time. After a few years, I put the attire back on; it suited me better. It should also be mentioned that during our years of collaboration, he offered me several leadership positions within the media group, which I declined because I wanted to remain a simple editor until the end of our collaboration (I'm thinking of my retirement, not a natural end). Yes, I know, I jumped the gun and painted a small picture related to freedom and how much each of us is willing to take. Having said that, I asked the President and CEO of the BURSA media group, Make, for an answer to the question, "How does the debate on freedom of expression - Gazeta Sporturilor - Ringier, with all the arguments and exaggerations, look from the office of a media owner with 33 years of experience?"

Here is the response: "The issue of our colleagues is somewhat more complicated than it seems because it sounds like an echo of the corruption in the capital market, as recently accused by the Bulgarian Assen Christov, [n.n. - President of Eurohold, the group that included Euroins insurance company]. And the echo deserves to be exposed with source and reverberations:

In the interview published in BURSA on September 26, Christov claims that Euroins was removed from the Romanian market through the actions of the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF), I quote: "We are talking about an attempt to steal our business. I say this because a few days ago, a new insurance company was licensed in Romania (Eazy Asigurări). It's very strange that ASF did this so quickly. I tried to find out more about this company, I looked for its website. Nothing. I think it's a very interesting case for journalists.'"

In the October 3rd issue of BURSA, we published the article "ASF's Maneuvers Stir Interest in the European Parliament," where the author cited "The European Conservative" publication, reporting that a German MEP is calling for an investigation into our insurance market following an article titled "Exclusive: Von der Leyen's Brother, a U.S. Betting Giant, and the Romanian Insurance Scandal," which shows that ASF granted a license for selling auto insurance in our country to a company managed by the brother of the President of the European Commission, shortly after revoking the operating license of Euroins Romania.

The article in "The European Conservative" contained inaccuracies by attributing "Eazy Asigurari" to the ownership of the gambling company "Superbet"; however, "Superbet" stated that Easy Asigurări is not its subsidiary, and both companies belong to businessman Sacha Dragic: "Describing Easy Asigurări as a subsidiary of Superbet is totally false. There is no connection between the management of Superbet or our brand and Easy Asigurări. Consequently, references to the Chairman of our company's Board [n.n. - Hans-Holger Albrecht, brother of Ursula von der Leyen] entering the insurance market are also false.'"

In this context, with gambling companies hovering above the insurance market abyss and explicit corruption allegations "at the level of ASF or even higher" (as Assen Christov claims), the cherry on top is freedom of the press. So, it's more complicated than it seems. In these circumstances, freedom of the press appears to be a chick left out in the cold, whose nest was turned into a rag soup (i.e., beaten egg). First, we need to determine the waters in which ASF swims. Personally, I have noticed that the freedom of the press to publish evidence of ASF's incompetence and to argue the suspicion of corruption at ASF has counted for as much as a chick left out in the cold: - The careful dissection of malpractices in the capital market governed by ASF (dozens of articles in BURSA - people started asking me what I had to do with Bogdan Dragoi and Nicu Marcu); - The two resounding bankruptcies in insurance - City Insurance and Euroins (here, no one asked me anything anymore - it was in plain sight, without subtlety). The political class seems to aspire to enormous gains from maintaining incompetence at the helm of ASF; otherwise, it cannot explain why the disasters have not shaken the leadership of the capital market supervisor. Furthermore, as it seems, the European Commission has denied members of the European Parliament access to a report related to the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF), suggesting that Romanian bribes are influencing the leadership of the continent. It's not news that we have journalists and publications that not only did not dare to report on the role played by ASF in both the stock exchange and insurance sectors but also assumed the role of apologists for ASF and the Cooperative in the capital market, receiving, in return, requests and payments for so-called advertising services from market players. Everything has turned upside down. The "untouchables" in the media have become the cultivated and promoted ones. The capital market Cooperative controls ASF and controls the stock exchange, controls three SIFs out of five, and controls brokerage firms. This is the environment in which Sacha Dragic made his entrance, an entrance described in "Superbet's" statement as follows: "The insurance and brokerage license was obtained by Eazy Asigurări, which is a completely separate company in the portfolio of entrepreneur Sacha Dragic, the founder of the Superbet Group. Dragic currently holds a diversified portfolio of investments in several sectors - financial services, logistics, consumer, health tech, as well as in companies listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB).' "Superbet's" internet advertising budget in 2020 was 4.7 million euros - the largest internet advertising investor in Romania. The cold has set in. What can Ringier do? If you don't have a journalist's blood in you, then you ask to see the articles about gambling companies before publication. It's not the same everywhere as it is at BURSA. By the way, the question challenges me as a media owner, so I must clarify: it's hard for me to split myself between being an owner, manager, journalist, and graphic illustrator; I can't speak in one capacity while ignoring the others. I am also a member of the MediaSind and the International Federation of Journalists, a member of the Union of Professional Journalists, and a member of the Owners' Department at the Press Club. None of these organizations has asked me for exclusivity."

Since one of the rules of the newspaper is that an article should not end with quotes, I will add something more about the... rule: I have always seen it as an opportunity for the editor to have the final word in the article they sign. Freedom!

Journalists revolt

Journalists from Gazeta Sporturilor and Libertatea are opposing the Ringier Group's management's attempts to impose commercial interference in editorial matters. The departure of the editor-in-chief, Cătălin Ţepelin, was demanded by the media group's management after the journalist refused to show articles about gambling companies that are advertising clients in advance. Ringier announces that the current deputy editors-in-chief, Dan Udrea and Bogdan Stamatoiu, will manage daily activities, with the support of Cătălin Tolontan, in his current position as editorial coordinator of Gazeta Sporturilor and the daily newspaper Libertatea, until Ringier Sports Media Group (RSMG) decides on the new leadership team for Gazeta Sporturilor. After journalists and other employees of Gazeta Sporturilor and Libertatea requested that the media company cease privileging advertising clients over other firms, individuals, and institutions, Ringier's response was to ask one of the signatories of the protest, one of the two deputy editors-in-chief, to leave. "We categorically protest against these measures and announce that we will take legal action to defend the right of the Romanian public to an independent press," reads a message signed by 73 journalists.

Ringier explains

Ringier Sports Media Group (RSMG), the parent company of Gazeta Sporturilor, provided clarifications following the recent announcement of the departure of editor-in-chief Cătălin Ţepelin, stating that it was the "culmination of strategic and operational divergences." Representatives of the media group said they have "full confidence in Tolontan's role in coordinating the two editorial offices, GSP and Libertatea," even though he refused to appoint a future editor-in-chief. According to Ringier, "the separation from Cătălin Ţepelin was the culmination of strategic and operational divergences that had been accumulating for some time. Both parties reached a mutual decision, which was formalized in an employment termination agreement signed by both parties." RSMG representatives also stated: "We understand that this development, especially in the midst of a year full of challenges for Ringier Romania, was a surprise to many of Ţepelin's colleagues. Many of these colleagues have enjoyed a long and rewarding partnership with him at GSP. We also acknowledge that the timing of this decision, in the context of ongoing discussions about freedom and editorial independence, may lead to misunderstandings. However, it is important to emphasize that these two issues are not related. The leadership of RSMG has consistently stated that the decision regarding Cătălin Ţepelin is purely managerial and operational."

Superbet's response

Superbet Group announced that it categorically distances itself from any form of influence, intrusion, or pressure on the editorial policy of any media entity, declaring its commitment to promoting integrity both in the media world and in sports. The company's statement comes "in response to issues related to the gaming industry that have arisen in the Romanian press over the past week." The company conveys: "For 15 years, we have supported the sports environment and quality journalism in Romania, fully aware of the social value they hold. From the beginning of our business project, we committed to maintaining standards of integrity in all aspects of our activity and in our relationship with all dialogue partners - the press, the general public, non-governmental organizations, sports clubs, and authorities. Therefore, we want to state unequivocally that Superbet Group categorically distances itself from any form of influence, intrusion, or pressure on the editorial policy of any media entity. We are deeply committed to promoting integrity, both in the media and in sports." The company emphasizes that respect for freedom of the press and the independence of journalists is one of the principles on which it bases its activity and collaboration with any media partners: "Any interference in editorial content or management pressure is incompatible with our company's values. Therefore, we treat with great responsibility any possible circumstance in which Superbet representatives may act contrary to our business principles. Any well-founded complaint related to the activity of our teams is investigated with seriousness and promptness, and our company will never hesitate to take drastic measures in case Superbet Group representatives act unprincipled. Consistent and unconditional adherence to our code of good practices remains one of the sustainability pillars on which our business is built."

Emergency ordinance for the regulation of the betting and gambling industry

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu announced yesterday that the government would adopt an emergency ordinance regulating the betting and slot machine industry in its cabinet meeting. The Prime Minister said, "I want to put an end to the situation where betting companies make billions in Romania but send all the profits abroad and even outside the EU." Marcel Ciolacu also stated that the situation has gone beyond limits, and it is not normal for the betting industry to have so much power: "During the pandemic, they were at the government's table! Now they threaten politicians and dismiss journalists, buying protection from the top of a foreign media group that owns two major newspapers in Romania!" The Prime Minister also mentioned that the government is "significantly increasing taxes for all gambling licenses and severely limiting the advertising space that companies in this industry can buy."

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