Media needs assessment research launched by the IJC: The press in the Republic of Moldova operates with limited resources and small teams, under constant pressure
Media institutions in the Republic of Moldova continue to operate in a fragile climate, affected by insufficient financial resources, a shortage of qualified personnel, and external pressures, according to the Media Needs Assessment, released on Monday, June 23, by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC). The research was conducted by the sociological company Magenta, commissioned by the IJC, between April and May 2025.
The study included an online survey of 101 active media outlets in the Republic of Moldova, 16 in-depth interviews, three focus group discussions, and desk research.
According to the report’s conclusions, although advertising and grants are the main sources of funding, they are often insufficient to ensure the sustainability of newsrooms, especially in local and rural areas. The instability of the advertising market, dependence on external funding, and difficulties in attracting additional resources limit the ability of institutions to invest in development.
The study also highlights that media institutions in the Republic of Moldova continue to operate with small teams and a simplified organizational structure, reflecting limited operational capacity. The need for additional staff is acute, especially in the context of expanding activities or maintaining current operations. The shortage of qualified human resources affects the ability of newsrooms to produce consistent and quality content, and difficulties in attracting and retaining young professionals exacerbate this problem. In addition, the lack of specialists in non-editorial areas, such as marketing and project management, limits the prospects for the sustainable development of media institutions.
At the same time, the relationship between the media and public authorities and regulatory institutions is often tense. Newsrooms complain about bureaucratic barriers, difficult access to information, and unequal competition between traditional media, which is subject to strict rules, and digital platforms, which operate without similar constraints. On the other hand, respondents emphasized that the transition to digital is perceived as inevitable, but many media institutions lack the resources to fully achieve it.
Political, economic, and institutional pressures continue to affect editorial independence. Even though many institutions claim to have editorial policies, their implementation is uneven, and the lack of effective self-regulation mechanisms and clear regulations for the online environment exacerbates the situation.
“It is important to regularly assess the needs of the media to better understand the changes and challenges facing journalists and media institutions,” said Nadine Gogu, director of the IJC. According to her, the research data can be useful for newsrooms and press support organizations, as well as for donors, who will be able to better plan their activities and invest resources where they are most needed. “We hope that the authorities will also use this data to develop better public policies that will help the development of the press in general,” concluded Nadine Gogu.
The previous Media Needs Study was launched in 2022. The 2025 research included the same set of questions, with the addition of questions about the use of artificial intelligence in newsrooms. The study shows that artificial intelligence is finding its way into newsrooms in Moldova, where it is mainly used for machine translation, text generation, and audio-video transcription. However, the lack of internal policies, technical skills, and adequate funding limits the expansion of this process.
Although the data is presented in comparison with data collected in the 2022 study, the comparison between the two data sets should be interpreted with caution, as the samples are not identical, and differences in the structure of the responding institutions may influence the results.
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.
