Courtesan Inclinations in Romanian National Television Newscast

For a while, the only news somewhat objective were to be found on the Romanian National Television,  and their newscast could be described as the acceptable mirror of the unacceptable Romanian realities. Unfortunately, ethical drifts in the public television have become the natural state of things in recent months. If the situation seemed under control at new president's beginning of mandate, all sorts of cracks studded the programmes of the few TVR channels (and the usefulness of stations like TVR 3, TVR Info, TVR 2, or TVR International given that market figures indicate a major lack of interest from the contributing... public is a different story); to such an extent that we can't even discuss in terms of “fine manipulation”, or subtle tilt of the balance anymore, but in those of straightforward the political servility and deep commitment.

The situation is most obviously present in the Newscast on TVR 1, the 20:00 o'clock one, the programme with possibly the largest audience, therefore the most subject to “courtesanship”. I use this particular term in order to keep the discussion as reasonable as possible. Otherwise, I would have used without hesitation words like “harlotry” or “whoredom”. Shallowness and commitment, poorness of ideas and elementary mistakes, the lack of a well-defined profile and disparities of all kinds, here's the background data of the 30-minute newscast, plus the weather visions of Romica Jurcă and the so-called sports bulletin. Huddling up local and international news, with mysterious criteria for establishing the “significance” and  “insignificance” of the story, the makers of the Newscast look like pawns in a game that at times they don't understand themselves, at times play in horrific delight.

But let us take a practical look at the Sunday Edition, on November 21^st, 2010. Mihai Rădulescu, equipped with a stiff suit and endowed with a yellowish tie, opens in force. He first presents the top news, depending of course on their “impact” on the viewers. The headline is nothing else but the PDL Bucharest elections, with the “crushing” and “surprising” results of Elena Udrea, facing the fierce competition of herself. Next is the bribe in the Ministry of Interior, the news about a bank sued by its customers, a strike of the mommies who do have no demands on the cuts of allowance by the Boc government, but on the right to breastfeed in public (!). Finally, the last news in the mentioned headlines is about the fact that, finally, the Pope has spoken favourably of condoms. God bless! In line with an old TVR custom, the video summary of each news is accompanied by a title with no reference whatsoever to its content. For example, in the video summary about the Pope, the headline goes on about some pirated DVDs (something that will not find in the newscast), and in the one about mommies on strike the news band displays Elena Udrea's name.

But Rădulescu is optimistic, wears a reassuring smile and his eyes blink friendly. The first four minutes are dedicated to the bribery scandal in the Ministry of Interior. It's not very clear who bribed whom, who and what is guilty of. Fact is that the state secretary, superintendent Dan Fătuloiu is splendidly portrayed in a passionate account about his impeccable career with the mention that he is one of the poorest officials in Boc's government, which is an argument of innocence, of spiritual and bank purity, isn't it? What is there to say in front of this exquisite professional embellishment? After the sight of Fătuloiu the victim, the viewer watches for about 10 minutes (!!! - a third of the diary) the party “successes” of Elena Udrea. Like in an orange painted hallucination, without the slightest measure, leading PDL members follow on another in a competition of political statements. One after the other, Elena Udrea, Emil Boc, Sorina Plăcintă, Ioan Oltean, Baconschi, Raluca Turcan, Costică Canachiu, Vasile Blaga, Cristian Preda have their say, make promises, give the country a beautiful smile. The news does not end there. Oh, no! Over the phone we have journalist Andreea Pora, renowned watch dog of Romanian Băsescianism, barking this and that about the events in Bucharest PDL. And when I thought, that's it!, it’s over, Mihai Rădulescu, announces even more relaxed the question of the day, addressed to TVR viewers. A question with such a clear direction that any comment is useless: “Do you think Elena Udrea will have the chair of the PDL guaranteed if she ran for Bucharest mayor?”. I can already imagine the busy phone, the blocked inboxes, the national hysteria of people who only want to answer such questions.

After the deep and endless media bow to PDL, the makers of the newscast, pathetically miming fairness, give the floor to the opposition. In two short minutes, we're presented with the following dilemma: who is leading the opposition, Ponta or Antonescu?; internal tensions are stressed out, leaving the impression that people and acts of opposition are not really serious. The viewer is induced with the feeling that anti- Băsescu alliances are not possible and that, anyway, PDL's invincibility is just as real as the presenter's yellow tie is. In fact, a little later, Traian Băsescu himself will be present in the newscast; within the news about the Lisbon summit, the president will say some nonsense about the missiles that breathe and that should not be allowed to breathe.

For the remaining 12 minutes, we are given, at an amazing speed, the rest of the information: dissatisfied customers, the protest of the mommies, disagreements on education act, the pope and the condoms, Ireland who decided to get a loan (therefore not only Romania!), the suicide of the soprano Briban, an explosion in a shop in Oltenia, the fact that 2011 will be the year of royal weddings, the lack of inspiration lottery players. Finally, we find the percentages of those who responded to a question from the previous edition. Well, 75 percent of the respondents believe that prices in Romanian hostels are too high. What difference does the number of respondents make, or that most of the Romanian was never in a hostel, or that the question is so utterly idiotic?

The ending belongs, how else, to Mihai Rădulescu who wishes his viewers a good evening, and so on, and see you tomorrow evening, blah blah blah, etc., etc., etc. Credits, ads and promos, Romica, sports, good night Romania! The courtesan goes home, for its fully deserved rest. Tomorrow is another day!