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Monthly Bulletin, May 2021
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World Press Freedom Day, marked annually on May 3 under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), took place in 2021 under the slogan “Information is a public good.” On this occasion, the Independent Journalism Center of Moldova organized several online events with the slogan “Information is a public good. Support quality press!”
On May 4, the #SustinemPresa social media campaign occurred. Media organizations and outlets, journalists, and media consumers were encouraged to join the event by sharing a cover photo with the message “Information is a public good. Support quality press!” On the same day, the IJC launched an online campaign where seven media managers explained the importance of the public’s support for an independent and free media. Also on May 4, the Memorandum on Press Freedom between May 3, 2020, and May 3, 2021, was published, prepared by the IJC. Finally, an article appeared on the IJC’s Media Azi portal about the ways in which media consumers can support the free and independent press, as well as an infographic on the costs of a journalistic investigation. |
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The Independent Journalism Center (IJC), together with eight other non-governmental media organizations, launched the Memorandum on Press Freedom in the Republic of Moldova for May 3, 2020 - May 3, 2021. Representatives in the field reported that, during the last year, the freedom of the press in the country has been in an alarming decline. Health authorities were not open in communicating with media representatives, and journalists continued to be threatened and intimidated while informing citizens about events of public interest. The report also reviews other issues related to access to information, the security of journalists, the incorrect application of legislation, financial difficulties that have affected the independent press over the past year. The document contains a series of recommendations to the Government and Parliament, designed to help protect and encourage the free media, in line with the principles of a democratic society.
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The 2021 edition of the Nations in Transit report, prepared by Freedom House, gives Moldova a score of 35 points out of 100, with zero being the lowest score given to the least democratic states, and 100 designating the most democratic regimes. The Republic of Moldova along with the states of Georgia and Ukraine are the only hybrid or transitional regimes in the Eurasia subregion. The alarming situation in the media also led to this score. Researcher Victor Gotisan, the author of the report, recalls the appointment of three new members to the Broadcasting Council (BC) in the middle of last year and the accusations of the opposition that they were selected through a “purely political” competition. Referring to the public television station, he referred to the monitoring reports of the Independent Journalism Center which “showed that Moldova 1 is still under political influence, openly favoring the Socialist Party and President Igor Dodon in its news.” The research highlights a number of decisions taken by the authorities over the past year that have prevented journalists from doing their job, as tripling the deadline for responding to requests for information or the Ministry of Health’s refusal to hold online press conferences with the direct participation of media representatives. At the same time, during this period there were cases of intimidation and harassment of journalists, dissemination of false news and conspiracy theories, especially related to the pandemic, says the expert.
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During the #SustinemPresa online campaign, which took place on Press Freedom Day in Moldova (ZLP), the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) presented seven reasons why the independent and free press in the Republic of Moldova should be supported by media consumers. These are: provide quality information; make the authorities responsible; defend human rights; expose corruption; offer a tribune for everyone; provide free choices; guard the “bag” of public money. Thus, the IJC wanted to sensitize the public, asserting that only quality press materials can correctly inform the reader and develop journalism in the Republic of Moldova.
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The editorial independence of Moldovan media institutions remains a major issue, according to the Press Release Index in Moldova in 2020. In the context of Press Freedom Days (ZLP), the portal of the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) Media Azi discussed with several press managers about the monetization models of the media products they use. Interact Media director Irina Ghelbur, who manages the Agora.md news portal, wants the portal to become a reader-funded institution. “That’s what we want to do with membership subscriptions,” she says. The Cu Sens media project adopted a new funding model, proposing to readers to donate and become, together, “the largest virtual newsroom in the country.” Other press managers spoke of their experiences — Alina Radu, director of the investigative weekly Ziarul de Garda, Aurel Stratan, program coordinator and head of advertising and subscriptions, from Mold-street.com, Mariana Rata, news director at the station TV8. Corina Cepoi, director of the Internews Representation in the Republic of Moldova, an organization that contributes to the development of the press, argued that media institutions should experiment with more forms of support and that media institutions implementing new forms of monetization could achieve financial independence from readers only with a “set up” planning.
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Twenty-two journalists answered the questionnaire launched by the Media Azi portal of the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) regarding the degree of openness each public institution has to the press, as well as the reasons cited for refusing to answer requests for information from newsrooms. Most participants replied that the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection (MSMPS) was the most reluctant to provide information to the press during the past year. Personal data and the Covid-19 pandemic were among the most frequently cited reasons when authorities refused to respond to newsrooms. It should be noted that none of the journalists who participated in the survey challenged the refusals to provide information in court and did not address complaints to the Police to hold those responsible for providing information of public interest.
Among the most receptive to requests for information identified in the survey were the Presidency, the General Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). The Presidency was mentioned seven times, and three journalists said they had been referring to the period since December 2020.
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The leader of Our Party, Renato Usatii, showed inappropriate behavior in relation to the moderator of the show “Cutia Neagră” (Black Box), Mariana Rata, during the May 5, 2021 episode, where he appeared as a guest. Dissatisfied with the journalist’s questions, Usatii responded with demeaning vulgarity and insults. ’Eight non-governmental media organizations, including the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), condemned the behavior in a joint statement. Media NGOs have pointed out that this is not the first time Usatii demonstrated such behavior toward media representatives. The signatories of the declaration asked the politician to apologize publicly to the TV8 journalist Mariana Rata and to refrain from any forms of intolerance towards journalists and media institutions in the future.
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The State Chancellery has drawn up a new statute for the Moldpres State Information Agency, which no longer includes the News Department, Moldpres journalists announced, describing the initiative as “an attack on the press.” They published a news item on the subject, which was soon removed from the institution’s website. According to the document, published by Moldpres journalists on Facebook, the draft of the new statute of the agency would reduce the activity of the institution only when editing the Official Gazette. It does not include “production and dissemination of information, publication and editing of official documents, information of public opinion in the country and abroad on the state policy and current activity of public authorities in the Republic of Moldova, provision of publishing, printing and advertising services, production and marketing photo and video materials.” Moldpres director Andrei Volentir denies this information. He claims that the draft amendment to the institution’s statute, drafted by the State Chancellery, is in its infancy and “is not about liquidating the news department.” According to him, the document is currently subject to approval, including by Moldpres. The manager specified that the journalists’ activity is not blocked, and the news in question was withdrawn because it was erroneous.
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An employee of the Ministry of Education was fined 1,450 lei (70 euros) for not providing the Moldovacurata.md portal with requested information following a complaint submitted by the editorial office to the Police.
In November 2020, the Moldovacurata.md portal requested information from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research (MECC) regarding the violations found by the Court of Accounts in the execution of reconstruction works at a center in Balti. The requested information was not provided even two months after the request was sent. At the end of December 2020, journalists filed a complaint with the Police, requesting that the MECC be sanctioned for violating the Law on Access to Information. The answer was received from the ministry on February 15, 2021, after the Police asked for explanations from the institution’s representatives. Although the requested information was sent, the portal did not withdraw its complaint and insisted on sanctioning the ministry.
The police concluded that Olga Soga, the main consultant of the MECC’s financial-administrative department, was guilty. The official was given a report and a fine.
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In April, the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) adopted at least two decisions in favor of state institutions regarding the refusal to provide information of public interest, requested by Human Rights Lawyers Association. In both cases, the SCJ judges declared inadmissible the appeals filed by the lawyers of Human Rights Lawyers Association against the decisions of the Courts of Appeal, by which they were not given the requested data from state institutions, or the information was partially provided. In the first case, information requested from the Agency for Land Relations and Cadastre (ARFC) was not provided on the grounds that it was data attributed to state secrecy. The second concerns the information held by the State Tax Service (FISC) on the beneficiaries of the law known as “tax amnesty.” By its decision of May 19 and, respectively, by an irrevocable decision of May 26, the SCJ declared both appeals inadmissible. “The ECtHR, in its constant jurisprudence, rules that the right of access to courts is not absolute” notes both decisions of the Supreme Court of Justice.
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The Council of Europe Office in Chisinau launched on April 12 a Guide for Media Service Providers on the Audiovisual Media Services Code.
Its authors, media experts Ion Bunduchi and Vasile State, surveyed media service providers, collecting topics on the provisions of the Code that are “difficult to understand.” The Guide contains detailed answers to 54 questions, addressing various aspects of the audiovisual field, such as granting the right of reply, television financing, ownership, political advertising, and others.
According to Ion Bunduchi, the current Code of Audiovisual Media Services, in force since 2019, transposes into national legislation the European Audiovisual Directive and contains a series of new provisions and notions. “A new law must always be explained in order to be properly implemented,” the expert said.
The guide can be consulted here. |
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| On May 12 the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) approved regulations on media coverage of the electoral campaign in the early parliamentary elections scheduled for July 11, 2021. According to the regulation, it is forbidden to broadcast election spots and reports that may spread, incite, promote or justify racial hatred, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, or other forms of hatred based on intolerance or discrimination. Electoral debates can be organized from the date of registration at the CEC of at least two electoral contestants. National media service providers have the obligation, and local and regional ones have the right to organize electoral debates. Also, the private radio and TV stations will have the right to live broadcast the electoral debates organized by the public television provider, but they will also be able to organize their own debates. The moderators of the electoral debate shows are obliged to be impartial, not to be a candidate or otherwise serving a public function during the elections, and not to be first or second-degree relatives of the candidates.
The provisions of the document are valid both for local audiovisual products and for those retransmitted from abroad. For violating the provisions of the electoral and audiovisual legislation, the Broadcasting Council (BC) may apply sanctions provided by the legislation in force. |
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| During the CEC meeting on May 21, CEC member Dumitru Pavel proposed the inclusion of the Broadcasting Council (BC) in the list of institutions that have additional responsibilities in the electoral process. According to the initiative, the BC was to be responsible for ensuring the free dissemination, through media service providers, of informative messages approved by the CEC on the electoral process and the procedure for voting and monitoring false news and hidden advertising. The proposal was not approved by the other members of the CEC — one person voted in favor, one vote against and four members abstained. CEC Secretary Maxim Lebedinschi explained that in an address to the CEC the Council disagreed with this proposal. |
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| The investigative weekly Ziarul de Garda announced that, in the electoral campaign for the early parliamentary elections, it will not offer advertising space to the competitors under criminal investigation or indictment. “The rule says to offer all competitors equal conditions, but our conclusion, after many years, is that the honest do not have much money, but the corrupt steal from public money and then distribute to the press to make an image. This seemed unfair to us and in contradiction with our values,” argues the director of ZdG, Alina Radu. Other media managers will do the same. The Moldova.org portal, for example, has not published election advertising for several years. “We decided not to give electoral publicity at all because we received the offer only from one party and we refused it, so as not to be its image-maker,” said the executive director of the institution, Ana Gherciu. The administration of the TV8 station also claims that it is guided by this principle, but in periods outside the election. “In the campaign, things are changing, and we are obliged to offer publicity to all candidates,” says Mariana Rata, TV8 co-founder, referring to the Regulation on the coverage of the electoral campaign approved by the Central Electoral Commission. The provisions of the regulation are also invoked by the editor-in-chief of the local Bas TV station in Basarabeasca, Ludmila Topal, who states that she would support a possible decision of the authorities to prohibit the participation in the competition of persons concerned in criminal cases. |
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| The journalists are urged by the People’s Advocate, Maia Banarescu, not to make political partisanship and not to distribute hate speech in the electoral campaign regarding the early parliamentary elections of July 11th. According to her, the previous elections showed that, often, in the electoral competition, “human rights were violated. The rules of the game were brutally ignored, in order to obtain voters’ votes at any cost, by manipulating, harassing opponents, distributing fakes, promoting discriminatory messages of a xenophobic, racist, homophobic nature and hate speech.” At the same time, the People’s Advocate called on the electoral contestants to adopt civilized behavior and recommended that participating parties should sign a code of conduct within the electoral campaign. Maia Banarescu cited the non-admission of the use of the image of minors for electoral purposes. The Ombudsman announced that the institution would monitor the election campaign, and general findings on its progress would be found in the final report concerning human rights. |
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| More than half (67 percent) of participants in a sociological survey conducted by the Association of Sociologists and Demographers (ASDM) would opt for sanctioning the press that biases the events of the election period. At the same time, sociologists asked the respondents what they think about the role of the media in influencing citizens’ interest in politics. About a third of respondents (32%) believe that the press greatly influences this interest and 20% — to a large extent. On the other hand, 13% believe that the media has no role in this regard. The most important source of information for citizens (43%) is television, and in second place, the Internet (38%). Things change when citizens are asked to say about the credibility of sources of information. Here in the first place is the Internet (32%), and in second place television, with 27%. Facebook was mentioned as the most popular social network (41.1%) for information about the socio-political situation in the country. Another 22.9% of respondents opt for Odnoklassniki. The results of the study “Vox Populi, May 2021: The role of the media in the electoral process in the Republic of Moldova,” were made public on May 24. |
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| The proposal for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to be responsible for promoting state policy in the field of audiovisual media and media services is contained in a draft Government decision, prepared by the MoJ and proposed for public consultation. Earlier, Media Azi wrote that for two years the Government has been delaying the elaboration of the program of measures for the implementation of the National Concept for the development of the media, identifying so far only the authority responsible for the media sector the Ministry of Justice. By adopting this project, the authors aim to reduce the number of legislative initiatives “received from various authors/entities with the right of legislative initiative, which have only a tangential or occasional connection with the field of audiovisual media services and the media” and to increase the quality of normative acts in the field of audiovisual media services.
Several documents should be presented with opinions of the State Chancellery, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, the Broadcasting Council, the National Anticorruption Center, the Independent Press Association. |
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| The Broadcasting Council (BC) sanctioned Cinema 1 (currently CTC) with 20,000 lei (about 930 euros) and DTV (currently PEH TV) - with 10,000 lei (approximately 465 euros) for the insufficiency of local audiovisual products and the lack of translations. The fines were applied during the meeting of May 19, following the examination of seven petitions submitted to the BC by the Employers’ Association of Broadcasters and the notification of the BC member Corneliu Mihalache. The petitions were sent until the names of the channels from Cinema 1 to CTC and DTV to PEH TV were changed by an April 21 decision.
The monitoring of the BC showed that the Cinema 1 television station made 0% of the necessary local audiovisual programs during the monitored period, and DTV did not reach the required quota of at least four hours of such products. Moreover, the targeted media service providers have the obligation to broadcast at least 80% of local audiovisual programs in Romanian, and 75% of the content of those programs must be broadcast during prime time. The BC claims that the televisions concerned did not fulfill this obligation either. |
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| The Broadcasting Council (BC) sanctioned the ITV television station with 15,000 lei (700 euros), for the lack of Romanian subtitles of artistic and documentary films, and the Bravo TV channel with 20,000 lei (930 euros), for not subtitling or dubbing children’s films in Romanian. ’ The fines were imposed at the May 12 hearing.
The Employers’ Association of Broadcasters mentioned in the petition sent to the BC that the television stations RTR Moldova, ITV Moldova, and Bravo TV would have broadcast an insufficient volume of local audiovisual programs and would not have provided the necessary translations. The president of the BC, Ala Ursu-Antoci, also cited the lack of translation into Romanian of artistic films. The monitoring results showed that ITV, Bravo TV, and RTR did not broadcast all the audiovisual products with the necessary translations. Ala Ursu-Antoci specified that RTR Moldova started translating almost all the films broadcast on the station, except for one production that is broadcast at night, and ITV does not translate any broadcast product.
Thus, the members of the BC decided to fine only ITV and Bravo TV for the repeated violation of the obligations regarding the translation of feature films and those for children in Romanian, while the proposal to sanction RTR did not gather the necessary number of votes. |
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| The Broadcasting Council (BC) fined the CTC Mega television station 10,000 lei (465 euros) for the lack of translation into Romanian of the films broadcast on the station. The sanction was applied at the hearing on May 27.
The BC was notified of the matter by member Corneliu Mihalache, who invoked the lack of dubbing or subtitling of children’s films. The BC monitoring showed that, between May 10-15, the children’s films were broadcast without the necessary translations into Romanian. At the same time, it certified that the media service provider did not translate the film “Vedima” from Russian. Given that overall CTC Mega subtitles content and only had problems with the dubbing of cartoons, the BC members applied, in this case, the minimum sanction of only 10,000 lei (465 euros). |
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| The Broadcasting Council decided to monitor the main news bulletins of 15 media service providers covering the election campaign for the early parliamentary elections of July 11th. These are the TV stations Moldova 1, Publika TV, Prime, Primul în Moldova, TVR Moldova, TV6, Canal 2, Canal 3, TV8, NTV Moldova, Jurnal TV, ProTV Chisinau, 10 TV, BTV and RTR Moldova. Monitoring will begin on June 12 and end on election day. At the same meeting, the Board approved the statements of 100 audiovisual media service providers (51 channels and 49 radio stations) regarding the coverage or non-reflection of the election campaign. At the same time, 17 audiovisual media service providers did not submit their statements and do not have the right to reflect the electoral campaign for the early parliamentary elections. |
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| The state of the media in the Republic of Moldova has worsened dramatically since 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the problems, revealing deficiencies that require urgent intervention. This is confirmed by the conclusions of the Report on Freedom of the Press in the Republic of Moldova, issued by the Independent Journalism Center in May 2021. On the other hand, in the World Press Freedom Index, released in 2021 by Reporters Without Borders, the Republic of Moldova ranked 89th out of 180. Another international organization, Freedom House, notes the presence of political influence on the activities of both the Broadcasting Council and Teleradio-Moldova in its Nations in Transit report, published in March 2021. Local and foreign experts refer to the problems that marked the press in the Republic of Moldova last year, in the May edition of the Media Azi show. |
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| Some newsrooms continue to cover topics of public interest in terms of political preferences, according to the organization’s latest monitoring report, released by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) on May 24. The report analyzed how 12 television stations and information portals reflected five events of public interest, which took place between February 15 and May 15: the decision of the Constitutional Court (CC) on the repeated appointment of Natalia Gavrilita to the position by the Prime Minister; political consultations between President Maia Sandu and parliamentary parties to identify a candidate for Prime Minister; establishing a state of emergency in March this year; the decision of the Constitutional Court on the dissolution of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova; the establishment of the PSRM-PCRM electoral bloc.
According to the report, biased titles came to be used more often during this period, while labels have almost disappeared from the list of misconduct. The most frequent violations remain the mixture of facts and opinions, failure to ensure the right of reply for those concerned or accused, selective presentation of information and/or statements, generalization, and reference to sources impossible to verify.
The report was made possible by the generous support of the American and British people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the UK. |
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| The Independent Journalism Center, in partnership with the Office of the Dutch Embassy in Chisinau, presented the Tulip Press Awards on May 14 to journalists writing about human rights. Floris van Eijk, head of the Office of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chisinau, mentioned that the Office of the Embassy pays special attention to the independent press. “Together with the IJC partners, we decided to launch this competition that celebrates and promotes journalists and photojournalists who, in their materials, reflect and promote human rights,” said van Eijk. The IJC representative, Anastasia Nani, the deputy director of the organization, appreciated the indisputable role of journalists who reflect on human rights issues and urged journalists to speak out when their own rights are violated. “We are aware that, by writing about respect for human rights, in fact, certain rights may be violated for you, being abused, verbally or physically assaulted. Unfortunately, we report such cases every month. Please do not be silent when your rights are violated, because we assure you, IJC monitors any situation, we knock on the door of the authorities, we urge them to take note and act “, mentioned Anastasia Nani.
The Tulip Press Awards included journalists Olga Gnatkova, NewsMaker, Aliona Ciurca, Ziarul de Garda, Liliana Botnariuc, People and Kilometers (Online Press/Written Press Section); Vadim Sterbate, Northern Observatory, Alexandru Vasilos, ProTV Chisinau, Nadejda Roscovanu, Jurnal.md (Photography Section).
The competition is organized by the IJC with the financial support of the Office of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. |
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| In May, the Independent Journalism Center launched a new edition of the podcast cuMINTE. In the latest episode, the host Ana Sarbu spoke with media law expert Ion Bunduchi about propaganda — what it is, the types often utilized, and how much is currently found in the Republic of Moldova. Less than half of the Moldovan citizens (44%) say they know what the term propaganda means, according to a national survey on the people’s perception of the media and media skills published last autumn. Moreover, about half of the respondents agreed with claims that propaganda is news that scares people or criticizes the government, which is not quite so. Meanwhile, dubious, propagandistic programs are shown on TV screens in the Republic of Moldova, incessantly promoting certain messages and interests formulated and presented so convincingly that the depth of their effectiveness is unknown and viewers become victims. Previous issues are available here.
Podcast CuMINTE is aired on Mediacritica.md on the most popular podcasting platforms: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud.
The podcast cuMinte is produced by the Independent Journalism Center with the support of the Embassy of Finland in Bucharest within the “Media literacy innovative tools for media savvy citizens” project. |
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| The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) invited journalists from both banks of the Dniester to participate in the training “Journalists from the right and left of the Dniester create multimedia content.” The event will take place online between June 9-11, 2021. The training is part of the project “Promoting media dialogue on both banks of the Dniester River,” which aims to strengthen collaborative relations between media institutions on the right and left banks of the Dniester by, among others, increasing the trust between journalists, increasing the professional level in the field of digital storytelling, and encouraging the development of multimedia productions on topics of public interest, etc.
The training is organized by the Independent Journalism Center, with the financial support of the OSCE Mission to the Republic of Moldova in the project “Promoting media dialogue on both banks of the Dniester River.” |
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| The Media Azi portal of the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) reviews the achievements in the field of media education of young people, obtained by the IJC during the school year. Although the 2020-2021 school year was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, media education remained a required discipline in schools. In the process of teaching the optional course, 74 teachers were involved and 2,454 students from all three levels of education cultivated their critical thinking. The portal recalls the main actions undertaken by the IJC during this period to promote media education. Among them are the Contest, “Education for the Media, a Priority in My School”, Media Education Week, Media Education meetings, editing textbooks for primary school, organizing Hackathon 2020 to develop new tools in developing students’ critical thinking, publishing a set of media education materials, launching the first podcast of media education and others.
The Independent Journalism Center organizes media education activities within four projects - “Strengthening media education skills in the Republic of Moldova,” supported by Deutsche Welle Akademie and funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Germany; “Press in Support of Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova (MEDIA-M),” developed in partnership with Internews and funded by USAID, UK; “Increasing support for independent Russian-language media institutions and for efforts in the field of media education,” funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; “Innovative media education tools for well-informed citizens,” implemented with the support of the Finnish Embassy in Bucharest. |
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IJC and Internews Updates
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Two winning teams of the sixth edition of the Media Hackathon “Fifth Power,” — with the theme Media Education: We analyze, Raise awareness, Create — have launched their projects, supporting the teaching-learning process of Media Education in schools. The event took place on May 21, in an online format.
The Evrica team presented the ODATA-EDU educational platform, which provides teachers and students with a set of exercises to facilitate the process of teaching education for the media in school. Also, 40 quizzes based on the content from the Education for media high school textbook can be found on the platform.
The Abrasii Tinerii Online team, from the Youth Media Center, created the series Media Education, which explains the most important topics in the Media Education textbook in a language accessible to students. The series is educational support for teachers who teach Media Education at the middle and high school level.
“We, at the Independent Journalism Center, watched with great enthusiasm the way in which the ideas proposed at the Media Hackathon Fifth Power in 2020 took shape,” said Anastasia Nani, deputy director of the IJC, during the event.
“The ability of each of us to analyze information is the basis of all our daily choices,” said Oxana Iutes, deputy director of Internews in Moldova.
The sixth edition of the media hackathon “Fifth Power” was organized by the Independent Journalism Center within the project “Press in support of democracy, inclusion and responsibility in Moldova (MEDIA-M),” funded by USAID, UK and implemented by Internews in Moldova.
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The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) continues to train civil servants on how to enforce access to information legislation. After conducting courses for junior civil servants in the central public administration and those with management or executive positions within the central public administration authorities, on May 28 the IJC conducted another training with the participation of 27 novice civil servants from the central public administration authorities. Cristina Durnea, legal adviser of the IJC, and expert in media legislation, and the investigative journalist RISE Moldova Nicolae Cuschevici, trainers in this course, told the Public Administration Academy (PAA) audiences about the legislation that applies in the procedure of providing information of public interest, the rules for receiving, registering and forwarding the request for information, as well as for the cases in which the provider is entitled to grant the applicants a refusal. So far, in total, 90 public sector employees have become familiar with the procedure for providing information.
The course is conducted by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) under the project “Press in Support of Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova” (MEDIA-M), funded by USAID, UK and implemented by Internews in Moldova. |
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| On International Children’s Day, the Independent Journalism Center (IJC), in cooperation with the “Talinka” Association and the “Guguta” Municipal Puppet Theater, will launch the video version of the show “A Click from the Fangs or: The Manipulating Wolf,” adapted from the educational story with the same title signed by the media researcher Solvita Denisa Liepniece from Latvia. The show is aimed at kindergarten children as well as primary school pupils, helping them to understand how the online environment works and urging them to analyze what they have seen or heard especially on social media.
The little spectators will watch a story in which the wolf Woolfy and the wild boar Hoofy try to manipulate the Internet users. In the end, however, the characters urge their friends and followers to “be honest and always discover the truth.”
“Through this show, we set out to get closer to preschoolers and those in primary school, who are part of a rather vulnerable age group. However, they are exposed daily to media messages, either through television, radio, the Internet, or books, content that, in many cases, is inappropriate for their age. That is why it is very important for them to be helped to understand that the information they hear or see is created by someone for various purposes and that they do not have to blindly believe everything they see on TV or laptop/ mobile phone screens,” said the executive director of the IJC, Nadine Gogu. |
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The Independent Journalism Center (IJC) has launched a grant competition to select a team that will create a tool or tools that can be used by teachers in Media Education lessons. Teams consisting of journalists, IT developers, programmers, media consumers, etc. can enter the competition. Teams must be represented by a legal entity. They will create tools/applications that can be used at one of the three levels of education: primary, secondary, and high school.
The winning team will receive a grant of $ 4,250. The grant contract will be signed with a non-commercial organization (public association, private institution, foundation) or for-profit legal entity (SRL, individual enterprise, etc.). The team will have five months to complete the project proposal. The submission deadline is June 15, 2021.
The grant is offered by the Independent Journalism Center within the project “Press in support of democracy, inclusion and responsibility in Moldova” (MEDIA-M), funded by USAID and UK and implemented by Internews in Moldova. |
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Media Freedom Matters partner Media Guard launched a new media monitoring platform and browser extension, Presscheck in early May. This unique tool identifies credible and ethical local news sources within Moldova through a rating system that analyzes the source’s transparency around funding, ability to conduct original reporting, and promptness in correcting mistakes when they occur. Currently, the platform features evaluations for ten popular news sites. Presscheck is housed on Media Guard’s new website, which launched in May.
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Freedom House partner Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) launched a new advocacy campaign in partnership with several Moldovan news outlets and local government organizations to improve citizens’ access to information. The campaign promotes LHR’s Vreauinfo.md platform, which helps journalists and citizens request information from government bodies. Using a simple form, citizens can use the platform to send a request to local and central authorities and get a response in 15 days. As part of the awareness campaign, several local publica administrative bodies and media outlets, including Newsmaker.md, Anticoruptie.md, and Civic.md, featured the platform’s promotional banner and instructions on its use on their websites. In addition, several outlets published articles highlighting how Vreauinfo.md used the platform to gain information for their investigations: Expresul, a regional online media platform from the Ungheni District, used the platform to gain information from the National Agency for Food Safety about farming and livestock practices, as well as the National Inspectorate of Public Safety regarding out-of-sight police units stopping drivers for traffic infractions. Newsmaker.mdv, on the other hand, used it to gather information from the General Police Inspectorate for their report on quarantine restriction violations. |
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