Victor Gotisan, Media Researcher: “Berlusconization” of the Media Damages Media Pluralism

Media concentration, or “berlusconization”, as it has been called, is probably one of the biggest problems for Moldovan media. First, it involves the interference of politics in this sector, and second, we cannot speak of fair and impartial mass media as long as it is guided by certain interests from the outside, providing incorrect and non-neutral information. Also, we cannot speak of free press when it is at the whim of a person or a group of persons (politicians or businessmen in some cases; these two categories usually are not clearly separated in Moldova). All of that is just contrary to the principle of media pluralism.

Media concentration diminishes what we call media diversity. At the current rate of media concentration in Moldova, we might in several years return to the situation of the press in the period before 1991 and have nothing but the press of one single party.

Even more worrying is the fact that while we used to speak only about concentration of classical mass media in Moldova (television, radio, print press), recently the Internet (online news platforms) has become a subject of interest and concentration for media owners. And that is quite disturbing.

What might be the conditions to fight this process?

The first step has been made: the Broadcasting Code was modified, obliging private media outlets to make their owners public. However, it in no way solves the problem.

The second step should be development of correct, concrete, and clear legislation dealing with media concentration and limitation of the number of licenses allowed to one person or entity. The Parliament did vote for a draft law stipulating this limitation, but experts so far have been skeptical about the true reason why these amendments were adopted. I say, we should wait… Things will clear up in time.

The third element in this equation is the fact that media owners need to become aware of the fact that the process of concentration damages freedom of the press and development of the sector in general. But in Moldova it seems unlikely, despite the fact that at all meetings with European officials our leaders declare themselves supporters of free press…