Russian Media Dominate the Informational Space of Moldova

According to a report titled The Last Gasp of Empire: Russia’s Attempts to Control the Media in the Former Soviet Republics, produced by the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA), the information space of Moldova is still dominated by the Russian media. The report shows that all small countries that used to be part of the former Soviet Union are in the same situation.

David Satter, the author of the report, writes that Moldova has four state frequencies which broadcast three television channels, of which two are foreign – a Russian channel and a Romanian channel.

The author also brings attention to a contradiction in the use of language. “Although Moldova’s official language is Romanian, Russian dominates in many aspects of daily life and entertainment, for example, cinemas, night clubs and shopping malls, which gives Russian television an advantage,” the report says.

At the same time, according to a 2008 survey Moldovans have great confidence in Russian mass media, with about 68% of the Moldovan population at the time believing that they were better informed from Russian channels. The Estonian International Center for Defense Studies, quoted by Satter, specifies that “the Kremlin does not have to do anything special to influence Moldovans because they are already loyal subscribers to the Russian media and any Russian propaganda that it carries.”

David Satter mentions that the public company Teleradio Moldova (TRM) is one of the least popular among citizens, which allows foreign stations to easier maneuver the broadcasting space in Moldova.

The author concludes that Russia, through its mass media, seeks to promote its political and economic interests to convince the former Soviet republics to join the Eurasian Customs Union and to create an opposition to the policies of the USA and NATO.

The report was made public on 8 January 2014 and focuses on the situation of mass media in the former Soviet republics. The Center for International Media Assistance conducts researches aiming at improving the professionalism and working conditions for journalists all over the world.

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