Monthly Bulletin, December 2024
In a 2024 retrospective, the Independent Journalism Center reviewed the most memorable moments that marked the media in Republic of Moldova in 2024. These include various moments related to the presidential elections, referendum, protests, vote buying, resignations and appointments, acid lines between politicians. The year in review also shows that 2024 was marked by attacks on media, as well as journalistic investigations uncovering illegalities in voting interference and voter bribery. |
Eight media NGOs, including the Independent Journalism Center, have repeatedly condemned the inflammatory language used by mayor of Chisinau municipality, Ion Ceban, which has led to attacks and insults against journalists, and is the use of administrative resources to undermine press freedom. The authors of the statement referred to insulting speeches against journalists, vloggers and people of culture by the mayor at the December 9 meeting of the Chisinau City Hall. Media NGOs called on Ceban to stop this aberrant behavior. They also urged the people targeted by the mayor’s insults to take him to court. The signatories the statement recalled that the Independent Journalism Center can provide journalists legal assistance and advice to defend their rights. |
President Maia Sandu emphasized the importance of responsible, free and fair media in her speech at this year’s Media Forum organized on 2-3 December in Chisinau. The Forum highlighted the crucial role of journalism in the defense of democracy. Among other things, the head of state noted the role of the free press and investigative journalism in the fight against electoral forgery and corruption in the recent presidential elections and the constitutional referendum. According to Sandu, misinformation and electoral corruption are the two big problems that the free media must pay attention to. Also, the President called on editors to invest more in journalism that deals with European integration issues. At the same time, the head of state drew the media’s attention to the persistent “serious danger” that misinformation and falsehoods represent. The way the media deal with important issues on a daily basis “depends on how prepared people [are] to understand what is happening and to make informed decisions for themselves and for the community.” |
Participants at the 9th annual Media Forum held in Chisinau on December 2 and 3, 2024, passed a resolution calling on the authorities to effectively implement measures targeting the media sector. The document highlights both progress made and persistent shortcomings in the sector. Although the government has initiated measures to support independent print media, including increased distribution tariffs, current mechanisms need strengthening to ensure sustainable public interest press. Likewise, a number of new laws, such as the Law on Advertising or Access to Information of Public Interest, have not produced the expected effects. Moreover, 2024 was marked by the amplification of information manipulation despite measures to protect the domestic information space. Among the Forum’s key conclusions, the resolution includes the successful implementation of a new methodology by the Audiovisual Council to monitor election coverage, as well as the role of journalistic investigations in exposing election fraud schemes. At the same time, professional shortcomings in some outlets serve party interests. Attacks against journalists have become increasingly aggressive, especially on election platforms. The Moldovan Media Forum is organized annually by Press Council in partnership with the Independent Press Association (API), Independent Journalism Center (IJC), and the Electronic Press Association (APEL). |
An Intelligence and Security Service (ISS) report recently presented to Parliament highlights the unprecedented scale of disinformation and propaganda campaigns during the Republic of Moldova’s presidential elections. Foreign actors such as Russia Today (RT) and agents affiliated with the Russian Federation, actively intervened in the electoral processes and exploited social networks Telegram, TikTok, Facebook, and VKontakte to distribute disinformation and propaganda. Experts note that several problems raised in the report, such as external information interference or vote-buying during the election period, are likely to remain during the upcoming parliamentary elections without intervention from the authorities. Andrei Rusu, a media monitoring expert at WatchDog.MD, warns that Kremlin- and Shor-sponsored disinformation campaigns represent a significant threat to the country’s stability and emphasized the need of closer collaboration between ISS, technological platforms and civil society. Vadim Pistrinciuc, executive director of the Institute for Strategic Initiatives, argues that although ISS is an active institution, in this instance, all justice and law enforcement institutions need to work together with each other. |
The enforcement of the new law on access to information of public interest (LAIPI) earlier this year has considerably contributed to the improvement of access to information. Despite this, obtaining information on public procurement and civil servant or dignitary salaries remains challenging. District-level transparency is lower too, according to the Access to Information Index 2024. The document was publicized during the Media Forum in Chisinau. The study measures three indicators: the compliance of the legislative framework with minimum international standards of transparency; data sets available on government websites, thus identifying public institutions’ proactive transparency of; the extent to which public entities respond to requests for information. Index author, Dawid Szescilo, assistant professor at the University of Warsaw’s Department of Law and Administration states that although there has been significant progress since 2023, the monitoring results show that there are still shortcomings and problems in ensuring a high degree of transparency. The poorest results are achieved by district authorities. Most information on the finalized and completed results of public procurement is often missing, as well as the salaries of those in top management positions of the institutions. The Access to Information Index 2024 is in its fourth edition and measures the transparency of the Republic of Moldova’s public institutions in its presentation and access to information of public interest. |
The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, signed on Monday December 16, a decree to establish a commission to organize a competition to select candidates for the Center for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation director. According to the decree, the Commission includes presidential advisers Igor Zaharov and Valentina Tapes, members of MP Liliana Nicolaescu-Onofrei and Oazu Nantoi, executive director of the Electronic Press Association (APEL), Ion Bunduchi, and journalist Vitalie Calugareanu. According to the rules, the competition committee, among other basic questions for the interview, will assess the candidate’s professional competence and performance, and will select the candidate to propose him/her to the President of the State for appointment. |
The Journalist’s Code of Ethics of the Republic of Moldova has been revised, and new additions were approved at the Media Forum 2024. According to Press Council President Viorica Zaharia, the definition of “journalist” has been changed. A new chapter in the Code provides for the responsible and transparent use of artificial intelligence (AI) by media outlets. Specifically, journalists must inform the public when using AI tools in the process of documenting or writing material. The Republic of Moldova thus joins a small number of countries that include such rules in their codes of ethics. The new additions require journalists to adopt an inclusive and human rights-based approach to covering stories about vulnerable groups such as refugees or people affected by disasters Other amendments concern rules on the headlines of press articles, publication of personal data and documents, approach to journalistic sources, signing of materials by authors or the behavior of media outlets on the Internet, including social networks. The last revision of the Code of Ethics of Journalists of the Republic of Moldova was made in 2019. |
The subsidizing mechanism for media institutions, adopted in March 2024, is not yet operational. According to the head of the Media Policy Directorate of the Ministry of Culture, Anton Ialau, work is underway to finalize the Council of Experts’ rules of operation that will evaluate the project dossiers submitted for funding. “By February at the latest, we will be able to announce the competition,” said Ialau. Public providers of audiovisual media services (Teleradio-Moldova and Gagauziya Radio Television), state-financed and departmental media, advertising/erotic publications and media institutions founded by political parties will not be able to benefit from the Fund for subsidizing the media. Beneficiaries will also have to meet other eligibility criteria. The Fund’s budget for next year could be around 5.5 million lei (275,000 euro). Culture Minister Sergiu Prodan said at the Media 2024 Forum that the amount could increase, but not before the rules and priorities for funding have been established. |
Television remains the main source of information for Moldovan citizens, followed by social networks and news websites. At the opposite end are influencers, pundits and newspapers, according to the Barometer of Public Opinion (BOP), September-October 2024 edition. BOP data show that most citizens (almost 37%) get their information primarily from TV. For 21% of respondents, the main sources are social networks Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. News websites are the first source of information for 16% of Moldovans. At the same time, according to the survey, for 25% of citizens, television remains the most trusted source of information; 13% of respondents trust family members and 12% trust news websites the most. The barometer also shows that more than 56% of citizens watch TV daily (including online), more than 84% access the Internet daily and almost 76% of respondents surf social networks daily. On the other hand, over 52% say they have not listened to podcasts at all in the last three months. Newspapers and radio are a daily source of information for 16.2% and 32.3% of Moldovans respectively. But even in these cases, the rate of those who have not listened to a radio station or opened a newspaper in the last three months remains at almost half of the country’s citizens. The Public Opinion Barometer survey was conducted from September 19 to October 10, 2024, among 1,100 respondents, excluding those from the Transnistrian region and the diaspora. |
A Generations and Gender survey conducted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2022 showed evidence of a digital divide between older and younger people in Moldova. Only 34% of the population aged 60-79 used the internet, compared to 82% of those aged 15-59. More recently, the 2024 CSO Meter report by Promo-Lex Association details the many aspects of this problem in our country. Among other things, the authors note a lack of digital rights literacy among law enforcement and the justice sector, which could affect the quality of interpretations and decisions on digital rights violations. The report lists several initiatives of the authorities to reduce digital illiteracy, referring to the Agency for e-Government (AGE), the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization (MDED) or the Office of the People’s Advocate. However, the study’s author, Florin Gisca, describes these initiatives as modest. He says it is worrying that some 360,000 older people have no access to the internet. He says that when we talk about the digital divide, we should not only consider poor access to public services, but also limited access to information. |
Media Legislation |
The Court of Appeals annulled a sanction imposed on Teleradio-Moldova by the Audiovisual Council (AC) following complaints from MP Marina Tauber and representatives of the stations Primul în Moldova and Accent TV. The complainants about how public TV channel Moldova 1 has presented its news and reports several pieces of information against them. In their petitions to the AC issued in November 2022, MP Marina Tauber and Telesistem TV, which then held the licenses of the channels Primul in Moldova and Accent TV, cited several irregularities, including “lack of impartiality, violation of the presumption of innocence and the right of reply.” Public television channel Moldova 1 rejected the accusations as unfounded and stated that it informed the public fairly and impartially. After examining the complaints, the AC partially admitted the petitions and decided to sanction Moldova 1 with a public warning. Teleradio-Moldova disagreed with the AC’s decision and lodged an appeal, which was rejected by the court magistrates. The case subsequently went to the Court of Appeals, and on December 11, 2024, the judges quashed the judgment of the Chisinau District Court and annulled the decision sanctioning public television. The Court’s decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice within two months. |
The Chisinau Court recently rejected a complaint from the regional public media service provider Gagauziya Radio Televizionu (GRT) against a sanction imposed by the Audiovisual Council (AC) in May. The Comrat challenged the fine of 25,000 lei (1300 euro) imposed for failure to comply with the mandatory quota of Romanian-language programs. The decision, challenged by GRT, was issued during the AC meeting of May 16, 2024. At that time, the Authority examined the results of checks carried out by national media services that evaluate the mandatory proportion of programs broadcast in Romanian. The AC’s report attested that, between April 2 and 8, less than 25% of the programs were in Romanian. As the station had already been fined for this in June 2023 for 15,000 lei (770 euro), the AC imposed a higher fine of 25,000 lei (1300 euro) for repeated breach of the law. GRT’s appeal against the AC sanction was rejected by magistrate Elena Bolocan of the Chisinau Riscani Court on 16 December. The court’s decision can be appealed by GRT to the Chisinau Court of Appeal within 30 days from the date of the judgment. |
The Republic of Moldova will have a new media law and an updated Audiovisual Media Services Code. This was also discussed at the 2024 Media Forum. According to Forum participants, the Media Law, adopted 30 years ago, is outdated in many respects. “Several standards have been developed at EU level to protect journalists. In this regard, we should complete those guarantees in the law on freedom of expression, which refer to the confidentiality of sources of information and their protection, as well as the inadmissibility of interception of journalists and media staff,” said Cristina Durnea, media lawyer at the Independent Journalism Center. MEP Liliana Nicolaescu-Onofrei, chair of the Parliament’s Committee on Culture, Education, Research, Youth, Sport and the Media, and media expert Ion Bunduchi supported the proposal. “However difficult and harsh it may seem, we have to intervene on the online side or at least on non-linear services, regulated in the current wording of the Media Services Code, to bring them in line with European legislation, we are obliged to do it,” confirmed the Vice-President of the Audiovisual Council, Aneta Gonta. Forum participants also raised the proposal that the members of the Council of Observers of the public TV channel GRT in the Gagauz region should no longer be appointed by the People’s Assembly of the region, but by the Audiovisual Council (AC). A similar measure would also apply to the general director of the national public broadcaster, Teleradio-Moldova, currently voted by Parliament, and to the members of the Supervisory and Development Council of TRM, also appointed by the members of the legislature. |
On December 5, the Constitutional Court (CC) examined a referral on the provision allowing Parliament, by the effect of rejecting the annual activity report of the Audiovisual Council (AC), to dismiss all members of the authority. The complaint also criticized the article which allows any parliamentary majority to dismiss one or more members of the AC when it finds “improper execution or non-execution of duties” or “defective activities” The complaint was lodged by lawyer of the former AC chairwoman, Ala Ursu-Antoci, who, along with four other former members of the authority, challenged in court the decision by which the Parliament dismissed the entire composition of the institution in 2020. In its December 5 decision, the CC declared the application on the unconstitutionality of the provisions of the Audiovisual Media Services Code (CSMA), which allow the dismissal of the members of the AC by the Parliament, inadmissible. The CC decision neither confirms nor denies that the mechanisms for dismissal of AC members by the Parliament violate the Constitution. According to Cristina Durnea, media lawyer at the Independent Journalism Center, the decision does not exclude the possibility for other parties to the proceedings to submit a new complaint, which would certainly and undoubtedly satisfy all the admissibility conditions. |
Media Monitoring |
Religious topics and those related to international conflicts in the Middle East have appeared frequently in the Moldovan media during the 2024, most often accompanied by negative comments and aggressive language from readers. The finding follows monitoring carried out by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), which, identified and reported in 2024, approximately 129 articles with religious themes, accompanied by messages inciting hatred, discrimination, homophobia, anti-Semitism. The monitoring targeted online portals Unimedia.info and the aggregator Stiri.md, as well as their and several other media sources’ Facebook pages (Unimedia, KP, First in Moldova, TV6 and others; as well as pages of political parties affiliated to Ilan Shor). Zina Savenco, in charge of monitoring the IJC, claims that comment moderation is a pressing necessity and a responsibility for any media institution that cares about ethical standards and its image on the media market. The monitoring is part of the project “Get the trolls out!”, the fifth phase of a program to encourage young people to fight religious discrimination and intolerance in Europe. As part of this project, the IJC is monitoring several media outlets on how they cover religious topics. |
A new public television monitoring report, released by the Independent Journalism Center on December 18 and conducted between December 2-8, 2024, shows that public broadcaster Moldova 1 has made progress in diversifying its sources, presenting a balanced presentation of the ruling and opposition parties, and prioritizing social issues. But issues remain on gender imbalance and lack of sources on video footage. According to the study’s author, the topics covered by Moldova 1 in the main news bulletins and in the analyzed broadcasts signal a possible beginning of the ‘depoliticization’ of public TV news and a prioritization of public interest. Another positive aspect highlighted by the monitoring is the diversification of sources and a significant reduction in the frequency of citing or mentioning central and local public authorities compared to previous periods. This time there is a greater predilection for citizens, entrepreneurs, experts, people with special needs, teachers, writers, artists and foreign officials. Parliamentary opposition has also benefited from a balanced and objective representation. However, extra-parliamentary political parties continue to be absent from the newscasts. The report also finds a gender imbalance — of the 252 sources quoted directly, 147 were men and 105 women; of the 24 guests in the analytical programs, only seven were women. Other shortcomings include the failure to indicate the source on video footage. This monitoring report was made possible by the generous support of the American and British people through the intermediary of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the British Embassy in Chisinau. The content is the responsibility of the Independent Journalism Center and does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Kingdom, USAID or the Government of the United States. |
The only legal mechanism created to penalize disinformation in the Republic of Moldova is provided for in the audiovisual legislation, except in cases where TV stations are suspended by the Commission for Exceptional Situations (CES) during a state of emergency or websites distributing content dangerous for the security of the country are blocked by SIS. Article 17 of the Audiovisual Media Services Code (AMSC) prohibits TV and radio stations, as well as media service distributors, popularly known as cable operators, from broadcasting audiovisual programs that constitute disinformation, propaganda of military aggression, extremist content and any other content that poses a threat to national security. TV, radio and media distributors can face stiff penalties for disseminating disinformation. These vary depending on the provider or distributor’s number of offenses, up to 100,000 lei (5,000 euro) and even the withdrawal of their broadcasting license, according to AMSC art. 27. Experts believe that the levers for sanctioning disinformation are not sufficiently exploited. In April 2024, they were applied for the first time in relation to the public broadcaster TV Gagauzia and the private provider ATV. In October last year, a distributor in Gagauzia was also fined for disinformation. |
IJC Updates |
The optional subject Media Literacy continues to arouse the interest of Moldovan students and teachers for the eighth consecutive year, and the authorities have proposed to introduce media literacy elements and develop critical thinking skills through other school subjects. The objective was included in the Inter-ministerial Plan for the Integration of Information and Media Literacy (IYM) actions, a document developed by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) and approved by the Ministry of Education and Research (MoE) and the Ministry of Culture at the end of May. The process of integrating media literacy skills into the curriculum will be finalized in 2027, according to Valentina Olaru, Secretary of State at MEC. She mentioned that the ministry is in the process of developing a conceptual map to include these competences in the structure of school curricula, and that this is part of a long-term strategy. To achieve this goal, the authorities plan to train the country’s teachers and professors. An in-service training program, called “Investing in Teachers,” will help teachers develop media literacy skills, regardless of the subject they teach. The program will be coordinated by the Institute for Education and Leadership and will include modules on democratic values, critical thinking and media literacy. This year, the pilot continues to integrate media literacy in English in 13 schools, according to a methodology developed for this purpose. The financial resources for the implementation of this plan will be allocated from the state budget and external sources of financing. The material is published as part of the campaign to promote the inter-ministerial plan for the integration of information and media literacy actions, carried out in the framework of the project „READ – Responding, Expanding and Acting on Disinformation”, implemented jointly by International Media Support (IMS) and the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), with the financial support of the European Union. |
The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) organized a new workshop dedicated to the implementation of the foreseen actions in the Inter-Ministerial Plan for Information and Media Literacy, a document elaborated by the IJC and approved in May 2024 by the Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Culture. The event took place on December 10, with the presence of 12 teachers from the State Pedagogical University “Ion Creanga” in Chisinau. Expert Angela Vacaru, who, together with the IJC, coordinated the elaboration of the Inter-Ministerial Plan, explained that the document aims to increase the level of critical thinking of Moldovan citizens. According to her, the recent elections in the Republic of Moldova and Romania have shown that manipulation and disinformation can influence election results, becoming a real risk for democracy. Several teachers — Larisa Noroc, PhD in history, Liuba Petrenco, PhD in pedagogy, Olga Boz, PhD in philology—participated in the workshop and stressed the need to strengthen media education at national level. This activity was organized within the “Responding, Expanding and Acting on Disinformation” (READ) project implemented jointly by International Media Support (IMS) and the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), with the financial support of the European Union. |
In the age of social networks, the role of journalists, presenters and show hosts has expanded beyond the traditional media space. They increasingly express their political, economic, or social opinions on networks such as Instagram or Facebook. This was extensively discussed in the November edition of the cuMINTE Podcast. With reference to the expression of journalists on social networks, podcast guest Viorica Zaharia emphasized that in this case, too, the Journalist’s Code of Ethics must be considered. Although these platforms are perceived as spaces for free expression, the professional reputation of the media employee remains closely linked to the content published. Following the recent revision of the Code of Ethics, Article 2.40 has been supplemented so that media outlets assume greater responsibility on social networks. Also, the new wording of the Code stipulates that “Media organizations, in managing their websites and social network pages/accounts, do not allow or accept any deviations from legal and ethical rules, including from the public in reactions (comments).” “To this end, media outlets properly manage reactions/comments to media products,” Viorica Zaharia said. “A journalist has to do everything not to damage the public’s trust in him or herself, but also in the guild,” concludes the guest of the Podcast withMINTE. |
In the new edition of the CuMINTE Podcast, journalist and podcast host Ana Sarbu discussed with psychotherapist Stefan Popov an old social phenomenon that has gained momentum in recent years thanks to the internet. More and more people easily believe in conspiracies, mysticism, and deny scientific evidence, historical truth. Why do these theories have such a powerful impact on the human mind, how do they come to control our emotions and what is there to do to avoid being addicted to them? To these and other questions the guest has clear and convincing answers. The cuMINTE Podcast is produced by the Independent Journalism Center with the support of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR). The views expressed in this material do not necessarily represent those of IWPR or its partners. |
The Independent Journalism Center has announced the totals of the competition small grants for media outlets and non-governmental organizations from the Republic of Moldova, aimed at contributing to a more inclusive society through professional media content. Following the evaluation of the 32 applications submitted by the participants, the jury selected two winners: the Media Center for Youth, with the project “Strengthening an inclusive society through new media tools and social networks” and TV Causeni Studio-L, with the project “For a more inclusive society and visibility.” The contest aimed to encourage and strengthen dialogue between media institutions and non-governmental organizations active in the field of human rights promotion by initiating partnerships and producing quality media content. The small grants competition was organized within the project “Promoting Social Cohesion in Moldova by Fostering Inclusion and Diminishing Discrimination” carried out by the Independent Journalism Center in the framework of the program “Joint Equal Opportunities Initiative – Phase II”, implemented with the support of the Government of Switzerland. |
Twenty-one students of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences of the University of European Studies of Moldova (UESM), as well as high school students from the European Theoretical High School, founded by UESM, participated in a training workshop in the field of media education. During the workshop, they discussed the importance and necessity of analytical and critical thinking skills, the challenges of contemporary journalism, as well as the quality of information and the impact of digital technologies on media products disseminated in the public space. The event was organized on November 28 by the Independent Journalism Centre (IJC) in partnership with UESM. Opening the event, the Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences (UESM), Grigore Partac, said that the information space is increasingly affected by propaganda and disinformation, and to fight these phenomena, future journalists must demonstrate practical skills of critical thinking and analysis. Journalist Ana Sarbu, university lecturer and workshop trainer, drew the students’ attention to the duty to correctly inform the public. Workshop participants looked at several examples from the media to determine what is and how to identify fake news, how misinformation arises, techniques of manipulation, and the purpose of propaganda. Participants also analyzed anti-EU narratives. These narratives appeared during electoral campaigns in the information space to influence citizens’ political decisions and also to spoil public opinion and generate social discontent. They learned how to spot other examples of disinformation such as phishing, trolling, deepfakes which they encounter daily on social platforms like TikTok. The media education workshop was organized in the framework of the project „READ – Responding, Expanding and Acting on Disinformation”, jointly implemented by International Media Support (IMS) Denmark and the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), with the financial support of the European Union. |
IJC and Internews Updates |
The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) and the Committee for Freedom of the Press named the 2024 “Journalists of the Year” at the anniversary edition of the Press Club’s Annual Gala on December 19, 2024. This year, the traditional Apple of the Gala went to journalists:
Special Prizes went to journalists Malvina Cojocari (Cu Sens), Vlada Versinin (Nokta), Ana Margineanu (Diez) and Constantin Hairetdinov (SP). Three newsrooms, SP, Ziarul de Garda and NewsMaker were awarded “For resilience and professionalism.” The award for Innovation in Media went to Privesc.eu and the Excellence Award was given to journalist Maria Trifan from Radio Moldova. The anniversary edition of the Annual Gala of the Press Club “Journalists of the Year” 2024 was organized in the framework of the project “Media Literacy Advancement and Support to Moldovan Media”, supported by Sweden and implemented by Internews in Moldova. The Annual Gala was also organized with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chisinau. |
