How do marginalized and vulnerable groups interact with the media and civil society? What are the preferred and accessible sources of information for these individuals? What is the level of media literacy among these categories? These are just a few of the aspects analyzed in the study “Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups in Relation to the Media – Access, Consumption, and Media Literacy“, launched by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) on July 7, 2025. The targeted groups include women, youth, people with disabilities, the elderly, Roma people, and refugees.
Structured into six chapters, the research presents relevant data on the experiences and needs of vulnerable groups in accessing information, their level of trust in the media, the type of information they seek, and the audiences of various media sources.
The study also illustrates the level of media literacy, perceptions of disinformation and fake news, and the extent of access to media education activities for these groups.
Two other chapters address the role of civil society organizations in informing and involving members of the target groups and analyze how the dialogue between these actors has evolved over the past three years.
Two methods were used to collect the data: a survey (quantitative approach) and in-depth interviews (qualitative approach). The quantitative study was conducted on a representative sample of population groups, with a total of 860 respondents from the following categories:
- Women in rural areas
- Women in urban areas
- Youth in rural areas
- Youth in urban areas
- People with disabilities
- Elderly people
- Roma individuals
- Refugees from Ukraine
Data collection was carried out using the CAPI method (face-to-face interviews using tablets for questions and responses) between March 4 and April 1, 2025. The data gathering process took place simultaneously across all districts of the Republic of Moldova. As part of the qualitative study, 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with representatives from each target group category.
The English version of the study will be available shortly.
The study was conducted by ATES Research Group at the request of the IJC, as part of the project “Building cohesion in Moldova through promoting social inclusion and diminishing discrimination”.
The project was implemented by the IJC between January 2022 and May 2025, as part of the “Joint Initiative for Equal Opportunities – Phase II” program, carried out with the support of the Government of Switzerland.
