This editorial is on the latest press diversion, set by a handful of amateurs working for Evenimentul Zilei daily who have proved to be both aggressive and irresponsible, as compared to journalists employed by other newspapers. Today I am making an exception to the rule by renouncing my well-known caution at the privilege some so-called journalists take: they behave like readers and try to express opinions on some other newspapers' initiatives. They reach an imaginary teacher's desk and decide grades. But every now and then they fall from this desk and break their necks. This phrase looks rather tough, but it is perfectly appropriate. The "journalists" I am actually talking about are but press scum. They are tiny and aggressive parasites. As professional journalists, they are perfect zeros. A few days ago some parasites working for Evenimentul Zilei daily offered an example that has offended the image of the press. Regardless of the parasites included, the press still comes third, after the Church and the Army, as institution citizens trust. Evenimentul Zilei wanted to come with hot news, but it actually came with lies. It was about Justice Ministress Monica Macovei and her alleged misbehavior caused by too much drinking. But this could have been about anyone else. It is just that these journalists got trapped in their own lies and had no deontological excuse. Hence Evenimentul Zilei had to apologize in the open. But afterwards the same press parasites that had plotted the mean scandal started dirty attack against journalists working for different newspapers, in an attempt to discredit the latter. But it is not such details that are relevant, but the phenomenon I intend to analyze. Romania has nowadays reached historical crossroads, at a time that can become indeed dangerous. Romanian press is almost fully-fledged now. Just as it is on the verge of meeting European norms entirely. It is on the foreground of Romania society, just as it was in 1990, when the press became the first private field on Romanian market. Romanian press is about to obey all Western standards and join competition along with the great European press, despite the hostility of some main representatives of the political class, whose credibility is getting lower and lower. Such representatives are interested in bringing newspapers and journalists to hostile terms. This is a last important exam, but before it Romanian journalists are supposed to overcome one more obstacle. It is about parasites employed in this very field. Who are they? What are a real journalist's tasks? He/ She searches reality and provides citizens with information to which they would not have access otherwise. Or with information that society administrators might provide in a twisted, altered manner. On grounds of such information journalists express opinions freely, depending on their own beliefs and on the respective publication's orientation. But who are the press parasites? They are people who have managed to reach newspapers' offices without mastering professional instruments that investigation journalism or at least information journalism cannot do without. They are powerless in their relation with the reality they fail to analyze and they shelter in a parallel world: press reports written by other people. They pretend to be journalists, evaded from or rejected by the real world and they try to plot false events. Monica Macovei was the first before last such event. And the last one has also been produced by the same parasites from Evenimentul Zilei: an attempt to portray the press as monstrous and structured on groups of interests, resembling the mob. Of course such "journalistic" initiative is doomed to fail. It is high time we looked at the truth, no matter how embarrassing it should be. These press parasites are people in their forties. . Although for 15 years now freedom has been their chance, they have been remarked for nothing. Nobody reads their articles and their TV rating is poor. The only name I know by heart is Grigore Cartianu. This is because in the glory days of Evenimentul Zilei, newspaper rulers, me one of them, would have Cartianu sit on the windowsill and play the jester. He was simply used for cheering spirits up. As for other parasites, from Evenimentul Zilei or some other newspapers, their names are so unknown that readers can't remember then, no matter how hard they should try. But from time to time, due to the good intentions of some television, citizens can see them on the small screen doing talk shows. They mumble words, they are unconvincing, passionate and lacking information and arguments. And for an hour or so they are in a world different than the real one, they spit venom and then go back to their activity as parasites. They search other newspapers. Not the actual newspapers, but their offices and they act like some Justice-does of the press. The bad thing is that these press parasites can't even end anonymity and one can't even point a finger to them. This is simply because they can't be references, not even negative references. Radar can't catch press parasites.

by Sorin Rosca Stanescu