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Рy19 May 2015
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Ten media outlets (five televisions and five online media) in Moldova will be monitored during the electoral campaign for local elections as part of a project implemented by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) between 1 May and 14 June. The results of the first report (1 May – 14 May) were presented on Tuesday, 19 May, at a press conference.
IJC Director Nadine Gogu said that the monitored outlets (Moldova 1, Prime TV, Canal 2, TV 7, Accent TV, unimedia.info, omg.md, publika.md, pan.md, timpul.md) had been selected by taking into consideration the impact/audience of the televisions and online publications, their form of property (public or private), and the broadcasting language.
“Materials were analyzed in depth to assess their content and context and to see whether they are favoring or disfavoring certain electoral contestants. Also, emphasis was put on the aspects of quality, to see whether they meet certain criteria of fair and neutral coverage, such as objectivity, impartiality, balance of sources/pluralism of opinions, and the language and images used,” Nadine Gogu stated.
Referring to online media and the electronic publications of newspapers, Association of Independent Press Director Petru Macovei drew attention to the language of journalistic materials that appear in the electoral campaign. “Some texts contain invectives, attacks on the person, discriminatory expressions. The media should fight against this phenomenon, and the politicians that admit such slips should be penalized, including by the media,” Petru Macovei added.
Electronic Press Association (APEL) President Ion Bunduchi presented two case studies. The first refers to the manner in which monitored televisions meet the criteria of fairness and balance in the coverage of elections. In his opinion, none of these TV outlets complies with the current legislation or with their own rules on the coverage of the electoral campaign that they took upon themselves by declarations of editorial policy approved by the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (BCC).
The second case study refers to Prime TV and Canal 2. “Journalism or propaganda?” the expert wonders, having seen “clear propaganda” in several materials. As example, he mentioned a material produced on 9 May in Cunicea village of Floresti district by Prime TV and Canal 2, in which some Democratic Party politicians were given airtime and nearly no airtime was given to veterans. “Who are the relevant protagonists of the 9 May story – veterans or politicians? This is how we do journalism during an electoral campaign,” Ion Bunduchi concluded.
According to the monitoring report, Moldova 1 and TV 7 televisions had a relatively balanced behavior, ensuring pluralism of opinions and diversity of sources. Judging by the frequency and context of electoral contestants’ appearances in news stories, one may say that Moldova 1 slightly favored the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party of Moldova. National coverage televisions Prime and Canal 2 favored the Democratic Party of Moldova by a large number of materials and the positive context in which they appeared, as well as by the manner of selection and presentation of news. Accent TV favored the Party of Socialists and Our Party both by positive news stories from electoral events and by image-promoting news with the presence of party leaders, Igor Dodon and Renato Usatii. At the same time, Accent TV disfavored the Liberal Party, presenting its representatives most often in a negative context.
The editorial policy of omg.md has been focused on promoting the candidates of Our Party and the Party of Socialists and on discrediting the Liberal Party and candidate Dorin Chirtoaca, as well and the governing parties. Pan.md has been openly favoring the Party of Socialists and Our Party and disfavoring the Liberal Party’s candidate for Chisinau general mayor. Publika.md has been openly and covertly promoting Democratic Party candidates for mayor and councilors, providing sketchy information about the other contestants and emphasizing critical aspects about them. Timpul.md has been frequently criticizing the Party of Communists and the Party of Socialists and favoring the Liberal Party and its candidate for the capital’s mayor. Unimedia.info has been informing about electoral contestants mainly in a neutral context, without evident editorial preferences.
All monitored mass media had problems in ensuring gender equality, so that the absolute majority of sources of information were men.
Overall, experts find that at this first stage monitored media outlets covered the campaign in a manner that might favor or disfavor certain electoral contestants and affect proper provision of information to voters.
IJC Director Nadine Gogu said that the monitored outlets (Moldova 1, Prime TV, Canal 2, TV 7, Accent TV, unimedia.info, omg.md, publika.md, pan.md, timpul.md) had been selected by taking into consideration the impact/audience of the televisions and online publications, their form of property (public or private), and the broadcasting language.
“Materials were analyzed in depth to assess their content and context and to see whether they are favoring or disfavoring certain electoral contestants. Also, emphasis was put on the aspects of quality, to see whether they meet certain criteria of fair and neutral coverage, such as objectivity, impartiality, balance of sources/pluralism of opinions, and the language and images used,” Nadine Gogu stated.
Referring to online media and the electronic publications of newspapers, Association of Independent Press Director Petru Macovei drew attention to the language of journalistic materials that appear in the electoral campaign. “Some texts contain invectives, attacks on the person, discriminatory expressions. The media should fight against this phenomenon, and the politicians that admit such slips should be penalized, including by the media,” Petru Macovei added.
Electronic Press Association (APEL) President Ion Bunduchi presented two case studies. The first refers to the manner in which monitored televisions meet the criteria of fairness and balance in the coverage of elections. In his opinion, none of these TV outlets complies with the current legislation or with their own rules on the coverage of the electoral campaign that they took upon themselves by declarations of editorial policy approved by the Broadcasting Coordinating Council (BCC).
The second case study refers to Prime TV and Canal 2. “Journalism or propaganda?” the expert wonders, having seen “clear propaganda” in several materials. As example, he mentioned a material produced on 9 May in Cunicea village of Floresti district by Prime TV and Canal 2, in which some Democratic Party politicians were given airtime and nearly no airtime was given to veterans. “Who are the relevant protagonists of the 9 May story – veterans or politicians? This is how we do journalism during an electoral campaign,” Ion Bunduchi concluded.
According to the monitoring report, Moldova 1 and TV 7 televisions had a relatively balanced behavior, ensuring pluralism of opinions and diversity of sources. Judging by the frequency and context of electoral contestants’ appearances in news stories, one may say that Moldova 1 slightly favored the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party of Moldova. National coverage televisions Prime and Canal 2 favored the Democratic Party of Moldova by a large number of materials and the positive context in which they appeared, as well as by the manner of selection and presentation of news. Accent TV favored the Party of Socialists and Our Party both by positive news stories from electoral events and by image-promoting news with the presence of party leaders, Igor Dodon and Renato Usatii. At the same time, Accent TV disfavored the Liberal Party, presenting its representatives most often in a negative context.
The editorial policy of omg.md has been focused on promoting the candidates of Our Party and the Party of Socialists and on discrediting the Liberal Party and candidate Dorin Chirtoaca, as well and the governing parties. Pan.md has been openly favoring the Party of Socialists and Our Party and disfavoring the Liberal Party’s candidate for Chisinau general mayor. Publika.md has been openly and covertly promoting Democratic Party candidates for mayor and councilors, providing sketchy information about the other contestants and emphasizing critical aspects about them. Timpul.md has been frequently criticizing the Party of Communists and the Party of Socialists and favoring the Liberal Party and its candidate for the capital’s mayor. Unimedia.info has been informing about electoral contestants mainly in a neutral context, without evident editorial preferences.
All monitored mass media had problems in ensuring gender equality, so that the absolute majority of sources of information were men.
Overall, experts find that at this first stage monitored media outlets covered the campaign in a manner that might favor or disfavor certain electoral contestants and affect proper provision of information to voters.
Photo: Media Azi
