The Adrian Vasilescu of the Financial Oversight Authority

Had my colleague Adina Ardeleanu not told me, on the 21st of last month, that Radu Soviani became the spokesperson of the Financial Oversight Authority (ASF), then I would still be thinking that he was simply the anchor of "The money show" of the ubiquitous Money TV, formerly "natural business born" Money Channel, currently "natural business dead".

But, Soviani is still the anchor of "The money show", even though he is now the spokesperson of the ASF.

When she told me the news about Radu Soviani, Adina said that the move of Soviani is epigonic, because it mimics the same side-switching of his former "natural business dead" colleague Dan Suciu, who, giving up his position of "unaffiliated journalist", became the spokesperson of former prime-minister Răzvan Ungureanu, "unaffiliated" to the SIE and anything else.

I criticized that move when it happened, asking myself rhetorically how deprived of character would you have to be, to one day complain that as a journalist, spokespersons are slamming the door in your face, only to do an about face and to slam in the face of your former journalist peers, (OK, that's not the principle being debated here, but rather the fact that journalists are constantly looking for information, even the one that is concealed by the authorities, in an attempt to keep it away from the citizens' eyes, whereas as a spokesperson, you are changing masters - the journalists' master is the public, not the owner of the media group - and often times, what you are doing is concealing the information, in service of the authorities and to the detriment of citizens).

Meanwhile, someone told me that in the US it is prohibited to appoint a journalist as a spokesperson.

Even though the US and the US are both on this planet, I care about the things that are closer to home, so I kind of don't give a damn about what it's like in the US.

But just for educational purposes, I checked the dictionary of the Romanian language, to find out the meaning of the term "spokesperson":

"Spokesperson is a person authorized to publicly express opinions that represent the point of view of the institution they represent".

Aha, so he doesn't express the point of view of the citizens, nor is he guided by their interest, as is typical for a journalist.

That's great!

I kind of thought there was a difference between "ombudsman" and "spokesman".

On Wikipedia I found a rather disturbing clarification: unlike any other citizen spokespersons are required to uphold the interest of the institution they represent, even when it conflicts with their own opinions.

In other words, it isn't just like journalists, you won't write or say what you feel, but rather what you should (of course, that doesn't make any difference, given the way journalism is practiced in Romania, in fact, the journalists in our media are heavily training for the position of "spokesperson", expressing the opinions of those who pay them, but all that means is simply that they are not journalists).

So, let's assume that, guided by honesty, Radu Soviani will one day say what he believes, when doing the "The money show", but will say what Dan Radu Ruşanu wants him to say, when speaking in his position of spokesperson of the Financial Oversight Authority.

Great!

In an essay I found on the internet, it says that "spokespersons are available 24/7, to keep dialogue with the press open".

Damn!

That doesn't sound so good...

First of all, because it means that you can't take a break from being a spokesperson.

Not even for sleep.

Second of all, because you can't practice for being a spokesperson at a private TV channel, getting paid two salaries for the same thing.

And second of all, because the show made while also working the other job is no longer credible, damaging the credibility of the TV station, the former "natural business dead" - but in the end, that the business of the channel's owner.

But it (also) harms the credibility of the ASF.

And that is already our business, of everybody else else's ...

Radu Soviani must have thought that it's not a big deal to go and work as a spokesperson, after all, plenty of journalists did, from Suciu, Zaharescu, Lucaci, Firea to Stăniloiu - two decades of journalists going through being spokes1 and going back to being journalists.

He must have actually thought it was a step up the ladder in his career.

In fact, he's got a peer at the NBR - the prestigious Adrian Vasilescu, who writes editorials weekly, telling people not to worry about Bank of Cyprus and after all, if you've been had, it's your fault for being stupid.

I've never understood what Adrian Vasilescu does.

Has he invented a new type of journalism?

The journalism of the NBR?

POST SCRIPTUM

I haven't watched Soviani's shows on TV and I don't know how to find on the web (I've certainly tried, but I've come up empty handed), so all that is left for me to do is to wonder what kind of dialog took place at Money TV between him and Adrian Vasilescu, on May 27th, when Soviani was already a spokesperson for the FSA?

Was it a dialogue like the one that takes place among peers?

"My dear colleague, I would treat currency speculation differently."

What about the conversation with the president of the BSE, Lucian Anghel, which took place on the same day, what did it sound like?

Like from a representative of the overseer, talking to the institution that is overseen?

"What are you doing over there, Anghel?! Fast asleep and slobbering on the pillow?!"

I will however, reproduce an excerpt, selected (almost) randomly from Soviani's blog, dated January 28th, 2013, called "Mr. Băsescu's prime minister":

"Does anybody else doubt that Mr. Victor Ponta has turned into the new Emil Boc? Does anybody else doubt that behind the actions of Ponta lies a tacit consensus with Mr. Băsescu?

Just like any with any of his moves, called by some "political strategy" and "crass lying" by others, Mr. Băsescu has tried each time to sneak in a blatant lie to have deniability of what he was going to do anyway."

Nice!

Will the ASF take on the opinion of Soviani, or will Soviani be forced to abandon his opinion?

I am curious.

Do you understand now, dear Radu, that this is not a promotion, but rather it means that you're degrading yourself?