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The authors compared the data in the public opinion barometer on the preferred TV channels and the political views of the citizens regarding certain leaders of other countries. Thus, the Russian President Vladimir Putin ranked the first among the citizens who watch mainly Prime, NTV Moldova and RTR Moldova TV channels. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel ranked the first among those watching Jurnal TV, PRO TV, TV 8 TV channels.
The sociologist Vasile Cantarji specified that the methods of analysis do not reveal the cause-effect relationship but, given the multidimensional nature of the public opinion, the interdependence between media consumption and the political choices of citizens is obvious.
The Watch Dog expert, Valeriu Pasa, explained the survey in greater detail, showing also the results of the monitoring of the news broadcasts on the most watched TV channels in Moldova. According to him, the quantitative analysis of the Watch Dog monitoring data shows, in terms if foreign news, that the Russian leader Vladimir Putin is mentioned in a positive context in a definitely higher share of cases (41.6%).
Besides, the quality of the news broadcast on Russian TV channels, funded by the Russian Federation, is very low, the news being biased and depicting the Russian leader as a super-hero. Also, Russian television channels render the western reality from a negative perspective, while the Russian one is illustrated positively. Thus, Moldovans who watch prevailingly those TV channels, make their judgements in the light that the Russian news casts.
‘Not only Moldova is influenced by the Russian mass-media, but it is also integrated in the Russian information space. While there is this so-called media influence in European Union countries, that is news is being produced, press agencies, web-sites, televisions are especially created for those countries, delivering a specific message – in Moldova the content of the Russian TV channels is simply rebroadcast and it is meant for the Russian audience so as to indoctrinate it and keep it loyal to the political leader of the country’, argued Valeriu Pasa.
The expert also spoke about the monitoring of how Moldovan broadcasters complied with the provisions of the so-called anti-propaganda law. According to the expert, the number of foreign news dropped significantly, but some TV channels, such as RTR Moldova, make changes to the foreign news and broadcast them as their own.
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