IJC study launch // Vulnerable groups vs the media: access, consumption and media literacy

How much do vulnerable and/or marginalized groups trust the media? How accessible are information sources for these people? How does the media help them to better know and exercise their rights? These are just a few of the questions answered by the study “Vulnerable and/or marginalized groups vs the media: access, consumption and media literacy”, launched by the Independent Journalism Center on December 12, 2022. The targeted groups are women, young people, people with disabilities, the elderly, Roma people, and refugees.

Made up of seven chapters, the research includes relevant data on the experiences and needs of vulnerable groups in accessing information, the level of media literacy and the level of access to media education activities among these groups, the audience of media sources, etc. One of the chapters examines the role of civil society organizations in informing vulnerable groups, as well as the interaction experiences that these groups have had with various organizations.

Data were collected by means of two methods – survey (quantitative aspect) and in-depth interview (qualitative aspect). The quantitative study was conducted on a representative sample at the level of population groups, with a total of 867 respondents from the following categories:

• Rural women;
• Urban women;
• Rural youth;
• Urban youth;
• People with disabilities;
• The elderly;
• Roma people;
• Refugees.

Data were collected by means of CAPI (face-to-face interviews with a tablet used for questions and answers), between June 4 and June 16, 2022. Collection took place simultaneously in all districts of Moldova. For the qualitative part of the research, 10 in-depth interviews were conducted with representative leaders of each vulnerable and/or marginalized group, as well as with media representatives.

The study was carried out by the company Date Inteligente SRL at the request of the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), within the project ”Building cohesion in Moldova through promoting social inclusion and diminishing discrimination”. The project is carried out by the Independent Journalism Center as part of the program “Joint Initiative for Equal Opportunities – Phase II”, implemented from the resources provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).