Foreign Propaganda on Small Silver Screens in Moldova: A Never-Ending Tale

From February 10, 2018, to December 22, 2020, a provision of the Broadcasting Service Code (BSC) was in force in the Republic of Moldova, which, to a certain extent, sought to protect the local information space from the content which could unilaterally influence beneficiaries’ opinions of information and broadcast from abroad. Commonly referred to as the “anti-propaganda law”, the provision was actually contained in a paragraph of Article 17 of the Law on Broadcasting and reads as follows:

• “(4) In order to protect the national broadcasting space and provide information security, media service providers and media service distributors shall be allowed to broadcast TV and radio programs which have informative, informative and analytical, and military and political content produced in the Member States of the European Union, the United States and Canada, and in the states which have ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television.”

In other words, for almost three years, broadcasting media service providers and distributors were not allowed to broadcast informative, informative and analytical, and political  and military content produced, for instance, in Georgia, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, or the Russian Federation: all of these countries have not ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television. The provision targeted, in particular, Russian content, considering that, in our country, no programs with the above-mentioned content were re-transmitted from the other states which have not signed the Convention. Both the initiators (the Democratic Party) and the promoters of the idea of limiting the amount of broadcasts from Russia, also suggestively named it the “anti-propaganda law”, in spite of the fact that neither the word “propaganda” itself nor the verb “to prohibit” could be found in the article in question. Thus, for a while, several Russian broadcasts containing obvious propaganda disappeared from Moldovan screens. Obviously, the fact of prohibition, as well as the degree of actually limiting foreign propaganda (which was still delivered in many other ways, including entertainment shows, series, and movies) could be discussed, but the broadcasting schedule of certain TV channels was definitely somewhat freer from Russian content likely to make the minds of information beneficiaries in our country more vulnerable. However, it lasted only until late 2020, when the deputies from the Party of Socialists and those from Pentru Moldova again amended Article 17 of the BSC as follows:       

• “(4) In order to protect the national broadcasting space and provide information security, media service providers and media service distributors shall have the right to include in their service offer broadcasting TV and radio programs which have military content, local or purchased from third-party countries, and complying with the provisions of the Concept and the Information Security Strategy of the Republic of Moldova.”

Apparently, the amendment – which, by the way, does not mention any informative, informative and analytical, and/or political broadcasts – is also intended to protect the national broadcasting space and provide information security of Moldova. Moreover, the authors of the amendment claim that resuming retransmission of troublesome programs from the “third-party countries” is supposed to comply with the provisions of the Concept and the Information Security Strategy of the Republic of Moldova. But is that actually true?

If we read the Information Security Strategy of the Republic of Moldova for 2019-2024, the document the authors of the amendments to the BSC refer to, at least skippingly, we will find put something completely different. The document is a precious one, I believe, and it deserves special attention and particular analysis, especially since it is supplemented by an Action Plan drafted to improve information security in our country, including in the media segment. However, let us now quote only the following passage from the Strategy: “While the Republic of Moldova was being asserted, consolidated, and developed as a state, it has been repeatedly subjected to campaigns of information slandering, especially due to foreign influence, involving an increased negative impact on its population.” Moreover, the document refers to the statement of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova made in 2018 on “condemning the attacks originating from the Russian Federation on national information security and abusive interference with political activity in the Republic of Moldova, which stipulates that foreign media attacks slander the Republic of Moldova and particular officials, but worst of all, they tend to denigrate the country’s citizens.” Last but not least, the same Strategy admits that, “at the current stage, propaganda, disinformation, and/or manipulative information are extremely dynamic, while the resources allocated for this purpose by the third parties significantly exceed the capabilities of responding to and countering this phenomenon by the Republic of Moldova,” though certain steps are still the responsibility of the Broadcasting Council, the Information and Security Service, media NGOs, and mass media.

“It Has Never Happened, and Now It Happens Again!”[1]

In these circumstances, media service providers and distributors have decided that the programs broadcast from the Russian Federation do not threaten information security of the Republic of Moldova and resumed retransmitting news, as well as political and military programs from this country. Media pluralism has won, some would say. Laws of this country are ignored, others would state. A gross disregard of the interest of citizens of the Republic of Moldova and favoring limited current interests which imply a long struggle among certain conjunctural politicians could be the third assumption. I believe that, in a democratic society, media pluralism is a crucial issue. Likewise, any state in this world has the right and freedom to construct its media systems and media agenda the way it finds convenient for protecting its citizens and for maintaining its own information space. I also believe that, without forbidding, we could solve the issue of foreign propaganda, wherever it could stem from. Man has the right to watch any kind of media content he wants. However, it is possible under the condition that ALL the states, including the Republic of Moldova, take care of their own information spaces

Let us consider, for instance, such channels as Primul in Moldova, NTV Moldova, and RTR Moldova. All three of them have brought back newscasts from parent channels in Russia, and also, in some cases, political and military programs. During the Holy Week, as well as this year’s Easter Week, newscasts from the three stations originating from the Russian Federation revolved around several major topics almost daily, in a repeated and detailed manner. Consider just a few examples due to lack of space:

• Vladimir Putin’s countless statements, visits, orders, discussions, meetings, and telephone conversations regarding the CEC reform (initiated by Putin and aimed at making the system the best one in the world, according to the head of the institution) and organizing schoolchildren’s summer vacation.     
• Sputnik V, the Russian vaccine is recognized the most efficient one by many countries in the world, Indians, Hungarians, Austrians, Germans, etc., are craving for it, while Brazilians and others who refuse to certify the vaccine actually jig to the tune of the US. At the same time, Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines cause only scandals in Europe.
• In India (and very rarely in other states), the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic goes wild, whereas in the Russian Federation, the virus exists only in the statistics briefly presented in each newscast, mentioning that the vaccination process is exceptionally useful, and helps the Indian state combat the disaster.
• The second Russian vaccine (Sputnik Light) was developed and approved during this time; the country’s president announced that the process was completed live on the TV.
• The ping-pong-like expulsion of Russian diplomats from the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, etc. and vice versa is the West’s unjustified attack against the Russian Federation.
• The three individuals arrested in Minsk admitted their being involved in the attempted coup d'état and assassination of Alexander Lukashenko initiated by the US secret services.
• The World Press Freedom Day is questioned by NTV which claims that several Russian journalists from NTV, Sputnik, or Russia 24 are intimidated, and social network accounts belonging to these media institutions were blocked last year by the West that promotes freedom of expression.
• Countless materials dedicated to the approaching day of the end of the Second World War, in the Russian Federation referred to as the “Day of Victory in the Great Patriotic War” occupied large spaces in newscasts of the three channels, with a wide range of topics, starting with “Faces of Victory”, rehearsals for this day held in different regions of Russia, stories of veterans, and such actions as the “Dictation of Victory” where persons of different ages answered questions about the war simultaneously.

It should be mentioned that all the news presents Russia in an exclusively positive way compared to any foreign actor who wishes them harm, demonstrates Russophobic attitudes, and plays into the hands of  the USA. For instance, minor scams which happen sporadically are brought to the public only after the state authorities take action and find solutions to prevent similar cases. Exhibitions mentioned in the section dedicated to culture may be titled “An American Dream” yet inevitably labeled “the fall of Western civilization.” We should make an important remark regarding RTR Moldova channel which inserts news from Russia in the local newscast titled “Вести в мире” (i.e. “News from All Over the World”). In this section, over 80% of the content originates from the Russian Federation  and is prepared by Russian journalists, hence words like “отечественная космонавтика” (national cosmonautics), “наша столица” (our capital), “наша родина” (our motherland), “наша страна” (our country), “наши соотечественники” (our compatriots), “наш президент” (our president), etc.: all of them refer to Russia, Moscow, and the president of the Russian Federation, while journalists from Chisinau do not interfere with this content, which seems to have nothing to do with information security or the Republic of Moldova as a state.          

All Is Fair in Love and War!

In addition to the newscasts, at Primul in Moldova, for instance, one can watch a show titled “Время покажет” (“Time Will Tell”), consisting of two parts and broadcast four times a week for two hours and half (from 12.30 to 15.00). The shows broadcast in the week of April 26-30, 2021, were obviously geopolitical, the hosts and 6, 7 or 8 guests were discussing issues related to the diplomatic scandal among Russia, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria and its consequences, the situation in Ukraine, as well as other related topics. The broadcasts are full of accusations, insults, even affronts, and hate speech in relation to any opinion apparently different from that of the majority, as well as to persons who express it or persons the subject refers to. Using the argument (perfectly valid and existent among the Russian public) that the debates are intended defend the Russian Federation and its citizens from the gross attacks of the West  guided by the USA, both guests and especially the hosts of these show insult anyone, without the right to reply, for example, calling the President of the European Parliament a “schizophrenic,” European values “ a huge emptiness, a schizophrenic system of values”, the President of the USA “a sick elderly man,” and the president of Ukraine   “a little comedian resembling an unbalanced Russian doll, a little American dog”, etc. Foreign guests (such as American, Ukrainian, or German journalists) are humiliated after every phrase they say when they are actually allowed to utter a word. Such remarks as “we don’t need your comment at the moment, you’re listed under No 6” or “mind what you say, my friend, or we’ll wipe this smile off your face” are typical issues, and no one reacts properly to it. Maybe this is the format of the show, and those who accept the invitation assume playing such parts. However, it is difficult to perceive the aggressive tone and amount of accusing and unilateral phrases and expressions for 2.5 hours four times a week. Especially since Moldova is also occasionally mentioned in these shows, whether it is due to the Transnistrian region or the host makes a joke saying the guests should go to our country if they need a fake passport. In short, we face a live cold war where the “giants” boast their forces, and the minor guests called by the hosts of the same show “provincial politicians” engage in “provincial diplomacy” are used as pawns in this game. It seems that little has changed under the sun in 30 years.          

The Media Propaganda Vaccine Does Exist!

Thus, we are free again to watch the content mentioned above. There are other sorts of it, of course, that we can watch, and no one has the right to prevent us from doing that. Yet one should be attentive to what we see and hear; it would be good to ask questions, it would be good to doubt when we hear that everything is perfect in a certain country and awful in all the others, and see what other sources, other channels, and other guests from other shows can offer us. In other words, it would be useful to take the only efficient vaccine to counter media propaganda coming from anywhere: this vaccine is known as critical thinking.

Let us do what our state fails to do – protect our own information space, keep our own brains safe, filter information and doubt, asking questions and consulting many sources, and ultimately ignoring harmful content intended to impose a particular point of view, a particular ideology, or a particular way of thinking. Probably when audiences for such products decrease dramatically, our state will no longer complain about the fact that it possesses no weapons to combat propaganda in which the strongest ones invest enormous resources. Or maybe until then, the Republic of Moldova will finally realize that our only weapon can be our own thinking, and the state can invest in it from kindergarten to make it critical.