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Monthly Bulletin, June 2020
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The Journalists’ Crisis Cell, set up by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), united media organizations to face common challenges caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus. One of its first initiatives was to submit a joint request to the Ministry of Health, in which 25 media outlets asked the Ministry to organize online weekly press conferences. After repeated requests to the ministry, the first press conference took place on May 1. On Press Freedom Day, celebrated on May 3, the Journalists' Crisis Cell circulated a petition calling on the authorities to ensure the media had access to information of public interest. By May 18, the initiative was supported by more than 350 people and was sent to Parliament. In order to improve the media’s access to information of public interest, the Crisis Cell submitted a document to the authorities listing the types of data which should be published according to legal norms and international standards. Over the past few months, members of the Crisis Cell have highlighted and condemned abusive statements made by authorities, such as the unsubstantiated accusations and denigrating speeches made from the Parliament's lectern by PSRM MP Vlad Batrincea, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, who claimed that journalists receive under-the-table salaries of thousands of euros without paying any taxes, the attacks launched by Prime Minister Ion Chicu against media institutions, and the restriction of the right to freedom of expression of journalist Natalia Cebotari, who was fined after posting on Facebook about possible safety violations committed by the management of a factory in Ceadir-Lunga.
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Media-azi.md published an article about journalists who visited hospital wards to find out how COVID-19 patients are treated and to check on doctors’ working conditions. At the beginning of April, Liliana Botnariuc, a reporter for People and Kilometers, stayed on duty for 24 hours with the staff of the Institute of Emergency Medicine in Chisinau. Botnariuc and her colleague, photographer Mihail Kalarasan, were among the first to report from inside a health facility which treats people infected with the coronavirus. On May 12, a Pro TV Chisinau team went to the Cardiovascular Surgery Department of the Institute of Emergency Medicine. “We wanted to show those at home what is going on in the wards where patients are treated and to dispel the myth that this virus does not exist,” said Pro TV Chisinau reporter Francesca Gandea. Before Medical Workers’ Day, marked annually on the third Sunday of June, Ziarul de Garda journalists Aliona Ciurca and Ecaterina Alexandr visited the Municipal Clinical Hospital No. 1 and the St. Archangel Michael’ Municipal Clinical Hospital in Chisinau. They took this risk to debunk fake news in the public sphere and to cultivate empathy for the medical staff. |
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The ‘President Answers’ show, hosted weekly by President Dodon on social networks, aroused the curiosity of media representatives, who want to know from what sources it is funded. Last month, Dodon was asked by journalists at least twice about the costs of producing the show, and he stated only that the show is produced by the Presidency’s employees, neither confirming nor denying the suggestion that a PR agency is behind it. Earlier, Media-azi.md also looked into the sources of funding for sponsoring Dodon’s posts and promoting him on social media. An official response in March, signed by Secretary General of the Presidential Administration Nicolae Posturusu, states that there are no funds allocated in the Administration’s budget for these items. Public communication expert Ludmila Andronic commented for Media-azi.md that normally, the presidential institution has to hold meetings with the press to allow journalists to advance their own informational agenda. Andronic believes that ‘President Answers’ is a kind of “informational cheating” in that it is a monologue rather than a dialogue with society, and the President answers only the questions he regards as important. |
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On Wednesday, June 17, Parliament’s Permanent Bureau nominated four candidates to fill two vacancies on the Broadcasting Council (BC):
Victor Focsa and Larisa Manole, nominated by the Democratic Party (PDM), and Ala Ursu-Antoci and Vadim Misin, nominated by the Party of Socialists (PSRM).
Shortly after the nominations, Parliament’s Deputy Speaker, Alexandru Slusari, claimed that PSRM and PDM MPs held only an imitation of a contest, since the nominees proposed by the Dignity and Truth Platform Party (DA) – journalist and former MP Angela Arama and Jurnal TV producer Nelly Sambris – were not nominated. The day after the nomination, the DA announced it would request a review of the decision, and the Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Media, Vasile Nastase, stated in a briefing that the DA was considering taking the issue to the Constitutional Court or a court of law. Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) MP Lilian Carp argued that PDM and PSRM’s decision to nominate politically affiliated candidates for BC positions harms democracy in Moldova. Media-azi.md asked PSRM MPs to comment on the allegations made by opposition MPs. They claim that “candidates have been appointed in accordance with the Code on Audiovisual Media Services, but the final decision will be taken by the Parliamentary Committee for Media.”
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During its meeting on June 22, the Parliamentary Committee for Media proposed three candidates as future members of the Broadcasting Council (BC) – Ala Ursu-Antoci, Larisa Manole and Ion Robu. According to the draft decision signed by Committee Chairman Adrian Lebedinschi and registered with the Parliament on June 22, the candidates were selected by “public entities,” with the Committee having conducted the interviews. The candidates must now be approved by the Parliament.
Regarding the opposition’s allegations that PSRM and PDM MPs tarnished the contest by appointing politically affiliated individuals, the PSRM denied the allegations, while the PDM did not comment on the subject.
According to the Audiovisual Media Services Code, the BC has nine members – two nominated by Parliament, one by the President, one by the Government, and another five by civil society organizations, selected by a specialized parliamentary committee following a public contest. The BC has currently six members after Dorina Curnic, Veronica Cojocaru and Olga Gututui resigned last year, citing the danger of the Council’s politicization.
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The group of TV channels under the control of Vladimir Plahotniuc, former leader of the Democratic Party, had the largest audience compared to other media blocs among 21 major TV channels assessed by TV MR MLD this April – 3.83% out of thea total rating of 10.91% for all 21. These TV channels are Channel 2 (1.18%), Prime (0.98%), Publika TV (0.66%), Channel 3 (0.56%), Channel 5 (0.18%), Familia Domashniy (0.14%), and CTC Mega (0.13%).
Another group with a significant share – 2.62% – consists of TV channels affiliated with the PSRM or with President Dodon. This group includes Primul in Moldova (1.23%), NTV Moldova (1.17%), and TNT Exclusive TV (0.22%).
Public TV channels Moldova 1 (0.72%) and Moldova 2 (0.02%) have only 0.8% combined by this rating. |
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According to TV Audience Measurement report, last month the most watched TV channels in the country were RTR Moldova, Primul in Moldova, and NTV Moldova. The public TV channels Moldova 1 and Moldova 2 placed sixth and dead last, respectively, among the 23 TV channels rated by TV MR MLD.
According to MR MLD TV data, viewers in rural areas account for 52% of the total number of respondents, while 48% are from cities. Most people who watch TV have secondary education (43%), followed by those with only a primary education (37%) and those with higher education (20%).
The age profile of the viewers shows that the largest group is those over 60 years (34%), followed by those between 45 and 59 (26%), and between 30 and 44 (22%), while young people aged 15 to 29 years (12%) and children from 4 to 14 years (6%) are at the bottom of the rating.
Data from the Moldova’s only audience measurement reveal that more women watch TV than men – 56.88% compared to 43.12%. |
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The number of subscribers to paid TV services increased by 3.4% in the first three months of the year, reaching over 346,000, according to the National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI). The total sales volume in this market also increased. According to ANRCETI, the growth is mainly due to the 8.6% increase in subscribers to IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) services, rising to 196,000, while the share of subscribers connected by coaxial cable decreased by 2.7%, falling to 150,700. The same data shows that 74.6% of subscribers had access to digital signal, and 25.4% to analog signal. At the same time, according to data reported by 46 providers of TV services, the total volume of sales made from these services increased by 10.9% compared to the same period in 2019. The growth was driven by the increase in revenues from IPTV services, which increased by 45.4% (MDL 30.6 million), while the revenues from TV services via coaxial cable fell by 24.5% (MDL 15.4 million). The largest providers of paid TV services are Moldtelecom (33%), TV BOX (31.1%), and Orange Moldova (6.2%). The cumulative market share of all other providers is 29.8%.
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A number of TV journalists and media organizations proposed a draft law which would allow radio and TV stations to host election debates at hours other than those with the maximum audience, as is required by existing regulations. Such a change would allow candidates to be present in the studios of all broadcasters, without having to delegate representatives. Media expert Ion Bunduchi, one of the law’s authors, stated that the draft would still require general and news TV channels to host electoral debates, while removing that obligation from community and thematic media providers (cultural, sports, religious TV channels, etc.). According to Vasile State, another author of the law, the draft classifies shows into several types to make it clear what sort of broadcasts candidates can appear in. In the opinion of Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Media Vasile Nastase, who has participated in debates, these provisions would improve the electoral law and the running of future electoral debates in normal conditions. |
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A recent judgement of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) found that the Law on Access to Information became inapplicable when the Administrative Code entered into force on April 1, 2019. So, this Code alone shall apply in exercising and defending the right of access to information of public interest. The Court’s judgement, issued on June 17, addresses a case regarding the access to several pieces of official information of the Public Services Agency (PSA). The case was brought before the court after the association ‘Lawyers for Human Rights’ requested in May 2019 that the PSA provide public information on individuals in leadership positions and their salaries, expenses incurred for business trips, means of transport owned by the PSA and information on their purchase or repair. The Agency refused to provide the information and the requesters challenged the refusal in court. At first, a court partially accepted the request, but the judgement was appealed to the Chisinau Court of Appeal, which declared the request inadmissible. In the end, the SCJ maintained the Chisinau Court of Appeal’s judgement and ruled that the Administrative Code alone applies to matters regarding exercising and defending the right of access to information of public interest, rather than the Law on Access to Information, which the Court claimed was obsolete and inapplicable. Lawyer Cristina Durnea from the Independent Journalism Center claims that because of this judgement, journalists will be faced with new barriers to obtaining information of public interest, such as the extension of the timeframe for the provision of requested information from 15 to 30 days, as stipulated in the Administrative Code. |
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A legislative initiative registered recently with the Parliament by PSRM MPs Vasile Bolea, Alla Dolinta, Petru Burduja and Corneliu Furculita (the owner of two TV channels – NTV Moldova and TNT Exclusiv TV) provides the Broadcasting Council (BC) with new authority during election campaigns. The MPs propose, among other things, that the BC should have the right to revoke from media outlets the right to share and publish information covering elections and referendums for seven days if they show a “biased treatment” of the issues or infringe on the obligation to show “fairness, accountability, balance and impartiality” during the election. In addition, the authors of the draft law propose to suspend the broadcasting license or the rebroadcast authorization of media outlets which covers the election campaign without having the right to or commits the violations described above. Furthermore, the draft law prohibits TV channels founded by NGOs from covering the election campaign. Certain media managers claim that the appointment of BC members on the basis of political criteria creates the risk that these legal norms will be interpreted and used to settle accounts with those TV channels that are inconvenient to those in power.
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At the end of May, Parliament considered a draft law which would allow performance audits of the Broadcasting Council (BC) and the Competition Council (CC) by foreign auditors. One of the law’s authors, PAS MP Sergiu Litvinenco, explained to Media-Azi.md that the audit was necessary in order to see the real situation in these two institutions: “It is not just a financial audit, but a complex performance audit that will verify or analyze how these institutions fulfill the mission for which they were created.” In his opinion, an audit performed by someone from abroad could provide an objective picture of the situation in these two institutions. Currently, the only way to monitor the work of BC is through their annual activity reports to the Parliament, and this is not enough for an “objective, fair, and transparent assessment of the Council’s performance.” Sergiu Litvinenco argues that, when adopted, this law will allow the disbursement of a tranche of European Union financial assistance, as a foreign audit of these institutions is reportedly one of the conditions for the EU loan.
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At its June 4 meeting, the Broadcasting Council (BC) unanimously rejected the draft law calling for an external audit of the institution. In the opinion of Council members, the initiative contains “serious deviations” from the principle of the institution’s independence.
According to the BC’s Legal Department, only the Court of Accounts should be conducting a performance audit of the Council.
According to BC member Lidia Viziru, the annual report submitted by the Council to Parliament meets all the requirements for a performance assessment. Other Council members Artur Cozma and Corneliu Mihalache also spoke out against the external audit on the grounds that the BC is an independent public institution and should not admit “such interference” in its activity. BC Chairperson Dragos Vicol, described the law as “a new way of political score-settling” with an election campaign approaching.
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At its June 30 meeting, the Broadcasting Council (BC) fined TV8 and Jurnal TV for failing to inform the public that they had previously been sanctioned. According to the BC, TV8 was obliged to inform the public that it was fined for broadcasting the show "Internetu 'Grăiește" in which the journalist Elena Pahomova was targeted, and Jurnal TV that it was fined for a report about the Roma from Soroca, which the BC called "discriminatory". The television stations had to broadcast the text of the sanction within 48 hours of the date of the decision on the fine at least three times in prime time, and at least once in their main news program. The two TV channels were fined 5,000 lei each (approximately 250 euros).
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On June 18 and 19, the team of the Chisinau School of Advanced Journalism (CSAJ) organized online Open Doors days at CSAJ. The event was aimed at young people interested in finding out more about CSAJ and potentially continuing their studies there. Director & media researcher Aneta Gonta and academic coordinator Ghenadie Ribacov, told the youths about the plans of study, the admission criteria for the current year and the projects they could join in at CSAJ. Instructors and former graduates of the school told the guests about the courses taught in CSAJ and employment opportunities after graduation. Participants included Madalin Necsutu, ‘Balkan Insight’ reporter, editor-in-chief of ‘Evenimentul zilei,’ and instructor of the course ‘Political and Foreign Affairs Journalism,’ Eugenia Cretu, journalist of Radio Free Europe Moldova, instructor of the course ‘Storytelling Video,’ Natalia Pislaru, editor at the scientific-methodological journal ‘Modern Teacher’ & ‘Faclia’ reporter, Nicolae Cuschevici, editor of RISE Moldova, instructor of the course ‘Investigative Journalism,’ and Polina Cupcea, founder and president of ‘People and Kilometers’, instructor of the course ‘Long Articles.’ They encouraged the guests to submit an application for the 2020-2021 academic year.
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The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) will hold the sixth edition of The Fifth Power Media Hackathon from August 7-9, 2020. This year’s event will be on the topic of Media Education: Analyze, Become Aware, Create and will take place online, per Media-azi.md.
Participants are encouraged to create tools that can be used by teachers in Media Education classes, an elective course launched in 2017 at the initiative of the IJC.
The participants will have two days to develop team projects and present their demo products. The event is open for teams of journalists, IT developers, programmers, designers, bloggers, media consumers, etc. Interested teams should register their project idea. During the hackathon, experts and mentors will work online with the participants, offering advice and expertise on how to develop their projects.
After the finals, four winning teams will receive grants of USD $4,250 each for the further development and implementation of their ideas. Once launched, the tools will be made free for public use.
The sixth edition of The Fifth Power Media Hackathon is organized by the Independent Journalism Center as part of the ‘Media Enabling Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova (MEDIA-M)’ Project, funded by USAID and UK Aid and implemented by Internews in Moldova.
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In June, Freedom House published the twelfth policy brief in the ‘Media Forward’ series. The brief, titled ‘COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons for Media Freedom in Moldova,’ was written by Slava Balan and Vladyslav Stegniy, and analyzes the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on media freedom in Moldova, highlighting the troubling new opportunities the pandemic has provided authorities to stifle the press and the new burdens it has placed on independent media outlets. It can be downloaded from Freedom House’s website in English, Romanian, or Russian.
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Freedom House partner Pilgrim-Demo published their analysis of local media regulations. The study defines key international and national documents which define standards and best practices, identifies issues in Gagauzian regulations, and provides a number of recommendations for Gagauzian authorities to improve the regulatory environment. This study is part of the "Promotion of Freedom of the Press in Gagauzia” project, supported by the Media Freedom Matters small grants program, facilitated by Freedom House under the MEDIA-M program, funded by USAID and UK Aid, developed in partnership with Internews and IJC.
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The COVID-19 pandemic hit the press as hard as other areas. Horea Salajan, executive director of the Mongolian Foundation for Media Content of Public Interest, talks in a new edition of the Media Azi Show about the lessons offered to journalists by this crisis.
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A draft law which would give the media free access to data on companies registered with the government and which was promoted as early as last autumn was stopped in its tracks in Parliament recently. Meanwhile, journalists are unable to access a website that previously provided this information for a fee. Public Services Agency officials claim that the WebInfo search system ‘has been withdrawn from service for technical reasons’, but they can use a new platform – ‘Access Web’. This topic is addressed in the Media Azi Show.
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