The June edition of „Mass-media in Moldova” Magazine Was Published. Find Out Why the ‘Free Market of Ideas’ Does Not Work and How Are the Investigative Journalists Doing

The June edition of Mass-media in Moldova magazine once again brings to the forefront several issues in the media field, which includes media concentration, the situation of investigative journalism, print and online media, professional ethics issues and other.

Aneta Gonta has analysed the phenomenon of media concentration. She has noticed that, despite the amendments to the legislation on media ownership (adopted three years ago), the media market is in the same situation or even more concentrated in the hands of a small number of politically affiliated owners. By broadcasting similar content, the media outlets that belong to certain politicians dramatically reduce dramatically the degree of media pluralism. Also, the monopolisation of the advertising market suffocates the outlets that are not under the influence of a monopolist financially.

The author identified at least four groups of audiovisual media service providers with more or less obvious connections with the political world. She got to the conclusion that as long as this area is controlled by politicians and no public institution takes a stand, ‘the free market of ideas’ will have small chances to develop.

In the ‘Experiences’ section, the journalist Anastasia Nani spoke to the deputy editor-in-chief of "Ziarul de Garda", Victor Mosneag, about different aspects concerning investigative journalism. According to Victor Mosneag, this type of media is facing major challenges, including financial ones. Should the foreign funding disappear, the few independent media outlets remaining on the market could disappear as well. There is a high risk that they could ‘end up in the hands of certain politicians, who probably can’t wait for this’, claims the journalist.

Regarding the way the authorities react to investigative materials on the topic of corruption, Victor Mosneag claims that very often court cases were opened. Workplace investigations were also initiated following some articles he wrote. However, the journalistic investigations were also used for score-settling. ‘I’d rather see no reaction from the institutions, than settlements of internal accounts or smoke and mirrors’, believes the deputy editor-in-chief of Ziarul de Garda.

As usual, in the Book Review section we present books of professional interest for journalists. This time, the media researcher Victor Gotisan recommends the volume signed by Arkady Ostrovsky ‘The Invention of Russia. The Rise of Putin and the Age of Fake News’. The book is part of the required reading for journalists, especially those interested in Russia's recent history, its media and the information war conducted by the Putin administration in former Soviet republics (and beyond).
The June edition 2019 of the Mass Media in Moldova magazine was supported financially by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency through the Swedish Embassy in Chisinau.
Note that the Mass-media in Moldova is a publication of the Independent Journalism Center, which aims to support the professional integrity of journalists and high standards in the field.  The magazine is issued twice a year – in June and December – in Romanian, Russian and English. The online version in three languages can be accessed here: http://media-azi.md/ro/revista-mass-media/revista-mass-media-iunie-2019