IJC launches an analysis of Moldova’s legal framework regulating the media sector

The legal environment in which the local press operates has been uncertain for many years, and a number of old legislative deficiencies have not been fully addressed according to the study “Assessment of the legal framework for regulating media activity in the Republic of Moldova” published by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) on Monday, February 27th.

In this report, IJC provides a retrospective look at the normative acts that affect all types of media: online, written, and audiovisual. The analysis highlights the problems with the regulatory framework and compares it with international and community standards.

The study is a continuation of the analytical approach put into practice by IJC in 2018 when the first snapshot of the regulatory framework on media activity was published.

The 2023 analysis shows, among other things, that the main shortcomings in media legislation concern the inefficiency of the Law on Access to Information, the lack of regulations in the online sector, the insufficiency and inefficiency of the regulations on media ownership, the lack of measures dedicated to supporting the media, and the superficiality of compliance with the legislation.

It is worth noting, however, that in the last two years, the national legal framework has undergone beneficial changes by adding a few necessary new regulations.

The study also offers conclusions and recommendations for government authorities to complete and improve the legal framework so that it meets the needs of media institutions and journalists in the Republic of Moldova.

The study was conducted as part of the project “Press in support of democracy, inclusion, and responsibility in Moldova” (MEDIA-M), funded by USAID and the UK and implemented by Internews. The content of this material is the responsibility of the Center for Independent Journalism and does not necessarily reflect the views of the UK, USAID, or the United States Government.