Media audience study launched by the IJC: Social networks have become the main source of information for media consumers in the Republic of Moldova
The main sources of information for media consumers in the Republic of Moldova are social networks, followed by television stations, news websites, and radio stations. Newspapers and magazines rank last. This conclusion is found in a new Media Audience Study in the Republic of Moldova launched by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. The research was conducted based on data collected by the sociological company iData, commissioned by the IJC.
The study also shows that television stations enjoy the highest level of trust among the population, followed by social networks and news websites. However, it is worth noting the large number of respondents who do not trust media sources (28.6%).
The survey highlights that the most popular TV and radio stations among consumers are Moldova 1, Jurnal TV, Pro TV Chișinău, TV8, and Moldova 2, Radio Noroc, Hit FM, Radio Plai, Radio Moldova, and Kiss FM, which scored high in terms of overall awareness.
The awareness of news portals is lower, with the majority of respondents (63.5%) stating that they do not know any news websites. Protv.md and Știri.md are at the top of the list of the most well-known portals, followed by Jurnal.md, Point.md, and Zdg.md.
Approximately one-third of newspaper readers and three-quarters of magazine readers responded that they were not familiar with publications in the Republic of Moldova. The most frequently mentioned newspapers are Makler, Ziarul de Gardă, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Argumentî i Fakty, and Moldova Suverană. Among magazines, Monitorul Oficial and Florile Dalbe have the highest visibility, followed by Aquarelle and VIP Magazin.
Audience data collected indicates that of respondents who watch TV stations with varying frequency (from daily to occasional consumption), 54% said they had watched television on the day before the interview, indicating a significant level of daily consumption. Radio consumption figures are lower, with 26.4% of survey participants listening to the radio on the day before the interview.
Most respondents (81%) access the Internet daily for various purposes: communication and socializing, searching for personal information, news, listening to music or watching movies, studying, or professional activities.
In terms of information, social networks are the audience leaders. The most used are Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Telegram, while Odnolassniki, X (Twitter), and Snapchat are accessed less frequently. Among news portals, the top five in terms of audience are Protv.md, Știri.md, Jurnal.md, Point.md, and Zdg.md, followed closely by TV8.md and Moldova1.md.
Printed newspapers and magazines are less popular among respondents, with Ziarul de Gardă and Florile Dalbe leading the audience ratings. Alongside Ziarul de Gardă, Makler and Komsomolskaya Pravda are in the top three newspapers, while Florile Dalbe is joined by Monitorul Oficial and VIP Magazin in the top three magazines.
The main purpose of the study was to assess media consumption trends by measuring the frequency of use of different media channels, the notoriety of information sources, the level of trust in media institutions, and specific audience indicators.
According to the executive director of the IJC, Nadine Gogu, through this study, the Center aims to support independent media outlets that want to attract more readers, listeners, or viewers but do not have sufficient financial resources to conduct their own research.
“We hope that the audience figures will be useful to media managers in developing promotion and marketing plans, as well as in attracting partners and advertising. At the same time, information about the socio-demographic profile of the audience will help editorial teams better understand who is following them. When you know who you are addressing, you can create more relevant, interesting, and better tailored content, which helps increase audience numbers,” said Nadine Gogu at the press conference launching the study.
The research was conducted on a representative national sample of 1,045 respondents, from the adult population (18+ years) in the Republic of Moldova, covering both urban and rural areas, including different geographical regions of the country. The maximum margin of error is ±3.0%.
The Day After Recall (DAR) method was used to measure the audience, which consists of interviewing respondents the day after they were exposed to media content to find out what channels they used to get information the previous day.
This activity is part of the project supported by Sweden “Media Literacy Advancement and Support to Moldovan Media” and implemented by Internews, which aims to contribute towards the growth of a diverse, independent and financially viable media landscape in Moldova, and to empower Moldovan youth to navigate their complex information environment.
