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Рy20 February 2019
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The fourth monitoring report, presented on Wednesday, 20 February, stated that on 9-16 February the following candidates in the national constituency were presented on a positive note on the 12 TV channels: the Democratic Party (PD), Party of Socialists (PSRM) and ‘Sor’ Political Party. The ‘ACUM’ Bloc appeared in the most negative materials, followed by PDM and ‘Sor’ Party. At the same time, in the online press there were some improvements regarding the correct presentation of information about the contestants, but there were still gaps in granting the right to reply to the people stated in certain statements.
According to the report, the Moldova 1 public TV channel was balanced in the monitored period, providing airtime to both election contestants in the national constituency and those in the single-member constituencies. The tendency to favor the independent election contestant Nicolae Dudoglo was noted in the shows broadcasted by the GRT regional public broadcaster.
Private broadcasters with national coverage Prime TV and Publika TV reflected the election campaign similarly. PDM representatives and candidates in single-member constituencies affiliated to this party most frequently had access to these TV channels, the tone of their reflection was mainly positive. Prime TV also broadcasted a large number of materials with the Government representatives, including Prime Minister Pavel Filip, the tone being mainly positive, and President Igor Dodon, the tone being mainly negative.
Canal 2 and Canal 3 reflected the campaign briefly, providing relatively equal airtime to many election contestants in the national constituency. Among the contestants in the single-member constituencies, the ones affiliated with PDM appeared the most frequently, this party being also favored by the presence of Government members in news and shows.
The attitude towards the representatives of the ‘ACUM’ Electoral Bloc and contestants in the single-member constituencies affiliated to this bloc on Prime TV, Publika TV, Canal 2 and Canal 3 was mostly negative. PSRM and President Igor Dodon were presented both negatively and neutrally.
NTV Moldova and Accent TV private TV channels reflected mostly representatives of PSRM and to the election contestants in the single-member constituencies affiliated with this party, as well as to the President Igor Dodon. The tone of the reflection was mainly positive. PSRM benefited from the massive presence of President Igor Dodon in news and broadcasts (in terms of the frequency and duration). PDM, ‘ACUM’ Bloc and ‘Sor’ Party were reflected mostly neutrally, as well as negatively.
The Central Television allocated more airtime for the ‘Sor’ Political Party and to the candidates in the single-member constituencies affiliated with it, mostly acting positively and neutrally. The representatives of PSRM and those of the ‘ACUM’ Electoral Bloc were presented mostly neutrally as well as negatively.
Pro TV and TV8 private broadcasters provided access to news and shows/debates to many political stakeholders - parties, election contestants in the national constituency and single-member constituencies. In most cases, these channels reflected the protagonists neutrally.
Jurnal TV covered election contestants who organised election events, reflecting the political protagonists in the news mostly neutrally. In the broadcasts of Jurnal TV, the representatives of PDM and ‘Sor’ Party were presented neutrally and negatively.
At the press conference on the report presentation, journalists wanted to find out if the results of the IJC and AIP monitoring activities are comparable to those presented by the Broadcasting Council (BC). Nadine Gogu, Executive Director of the Independent Journalism Center, underlined that results of both monitoring activities are similar. However, the expert argues that sanctions of BC were late because they were applied in the last week of the election campaign. ‘Before the next sanction comes - the campaign ends’, Nadine Gogu said, underlining that the big issue was that some broadcasters did not take into account any legal provision, did what they knew they must do, and nothing happened.
Petru Macovei, Executive Director of the Association of Independent Press (AIP), an organisation monitoring news portals and written media, said that a more creative approach was registered in some editorial offices during this period: various podcasts, election tests. Some also broadcasted debates.
The expert said that online press did not always grant the right to reply to individuals, directly mentioned in various statements and allegations. During this period, there were also cases of good faith when those mentioned had the possibility to come up with reactions, but the accusations remained mostly unanswered and the materials were generally unbalanced from the journalistic point of view. Petru Macovei pointed out that some portals avoid reflecting the election campaign or select the events and reflect them briefly
According to the monitoring report, the 16 online portals and newspapers most often covered the Democratic Party, Party of Socialists and ‘ACUM’ Electoral Bloc, mostly using neutral tone. The following are ‘Sor’ Party, Party of Communists, Liberal Party and Partidul Nostru (‘Our Party’) with a comparable number of mostly neutral appearances. The Democratic Party and the Party of Socialists, were presented mostly on a negative note, but the same election contestants were also presented on a positive note.
According to the report, the Moldova 1 public TV channel was balanced in the monitored period, providing airtime to both election contestants in the national constituency and those in the single-member constituencies. The tendency to favor the independent election contestant Nicolae Dudoglo was noted in the shows broadcasted by the GRT regional public broadcaster.
Private broadcasters with national coverage Prime TV and Publika TV reflected the election campaign similarly. PDM representatives and candidates in single-member constituencies affiliated to this party most frequently had access to these TV channels, the tone of their reflection was mainly positive. Prime TV also broadcasted a large number of materials with the Government representatives, including Prime Minister Pavel Filip, the tone being mainly positive, and President Igor Dodon, the tone being mainly negative.
Canal 2 and Canal 3 reflected the campaign briefly, providing relatively equal airtime to many election contestants in the national constituency. Among the contestants in the single-member constituencies, the ones affiliated with PDM appeared the most frequently, this party being also favored by the presence of Government members in news and shows.
The attitude towards the representatives of the ‘ACUM’ Electoral Bloc and contestants in the single-member constituencies affiliated to this bloc on Prime TV, Publika TV, Canal 2 and Canal 3 was mostly negative. PSRM and President Igor Dodon were presented both negatively and neutrally.
NTV Moldova and Accent TV private TV channels reflected mostly representatives of PSRM and to the election contestants in the single-member constituencies affiliated with this party, as well as to the President Igor Dodon. The tone of the reflection was mainly positive. PSRM benefited from the massive presence of President Igor Dodon in news and broadcasts (in terms of the frequency and duration). PDM, ‘ACUM’ Bloc and ‘Sor’ Party were reflected mostly neutrally, as well as negatively.
The Central Television allocated more airtime for the ‘Sor’ Political Party and to the candidates in the single-member constituencies affiliated with it, mostly acting positively and neutrally. The representatives of PSRM and those of the ‘ACUM’ Electoral Bloc were presented mostly neutrally as well as negatively.
Pro TV and TV8 private broadcasters provided access to news and shows/debates to many political stakeholders - parties, election contestants in the national constituency and single-member constituencies. In most cases, these channels reflected the protagonists neutrally.
Jurnal TV covered election contestants who organised election events, reflecting the political protagonists in the news mostly neutrally. In the broadcasts of Jurnal TV, the representatives of PDM and ‘Sor’ Party were presented neutrally and negatively.
At the press conference on the report presentation, journalists wanted to find out if the results of the IJC and AIP monitoring activities are comparable to those presented by the Broadcasting Council (BC). Nadine Gogu, Executive Director of the Independent Journalism Center, underlined that results of both monitoring activities are similar. However, the expert argues that sanctions of BC were late because they were applied in the last week of the election campaign. ‘Before the next sanction comes - the campaign ends’, Nadine Gogu said, underlining that the big issue was that some broadcasters did not take into account any legal provision, did what they knew they must do, and nothing happened.
Petru Macovei, Executive Director of the Association of Independent Press (AIP), an organisation monitoring news portals and written media, said that a more creative approach was registered in some editorial offices during this period: various podcasts, election tests. Some also broadcasted debates.
The expert said that online press did not always grant the right to reply to individuals, directly mentioned in various statements and allegations. During this period, there were also cases of good faith when those mentioned had the possibility to come up with reactions, but the accusations remained mostly unanswered and the materials were generally unbalanced from the journalistic point of view. Petru Macovei pointed out that some portals avoid reflecting the election campaign or select the events and reflect them briefly
According to the monitoring report, the 16 online portals and newspapers most often covered the Democratic Party, Party of Socialists and ‘ACUM’ Electoral Bloc, mostly using neutral tone. The following are ‘Sor’ Party, Party of Communists, Liberal Party and Partidul Nostru (‘Our Party’) with a comparable number of mostly neutral appearances. The Democratic Party and the Party of Socialists, were presented mostly on a negative note, but the same election contestants were also presented on a positive note.
