The Democratic Party’s legislative initiative aimed at eliminating Russian propaganda from the Moldovan media space will have an impact only on the broadcasting sector. The propaganda will be rather diminished than fully eliminated, while the way in which the bill is formulated will enable the issuers of propagandistic content to swiftly adjust and to present the same content as local products, consider experts of the Association “Comunitatea WatchDog.MD”, who carried out an analysis of the impact of the PDM’s proposal. The study says the legislative initiative is rather part of political and economic tactics of the power and pro-Russian opposition than an authentic commitment to fight Russian misinformation in the mass media in Moldova.
In a news conference at IPN, expert Andrei Curararu said the propaganda is a much more complex issue that goes beyond the broadcasting framework that is to be amended. The proposed measures would have a limited impact and can be eluded by developing the network of local satellite broadcasters of Russian TV channels. Moreover, the bill ignores the local propaganda means that are diversified and transmit veiled messages adjusted to the realities in the Republic of Moldova. The provisions of this bill ban the retransmission of news bulletins and feature programs, but the portals will be further able to disseminate news articles, adjusting them and showing Internet sources so as not to reveal the real source.
Expert Valeriu Pasa said that from political viewpoint this initiative is favorable to the Party of Socialists and President Igor Dodon as well as to the government led by Vlad Plahotniuc. The discussions on this initiative enable to imitate an opposition between the government and the Socialists amid the loss of image owing to the joint promotion of the changes to the electoral system. The position of Russian press defender enables Igor Dodon to have a positive image before a part of the voters and the Russian authorities, while Vlad Plahotniuc is trying to regain the confidence of the West by this approach.
Valeriu Pasa noted that besides political benefits, the two political players could also obtain financial benefits from this initiative. The Socialists could get new financing from the Russian Federation for replacing the retransmitted content with similar own products. Vlad Plahotniuc could count on financing for the own TV channels from the money allocated by the U.S. for fighting Russian propaganda in Eastern Europe.
The experts of “Comunitatea WatchDog.MD” said the main TV channels that will be affected and are the main issuers of Russian propaganda, with large audience, include Prime, RTR, NTV and Ren TV. The impact of Prime is the greatest and exceeds the impact of all the other channels taken together. In this regard, the research authors called on Vlad Plahotniuc to show determination and to immediately interrupt the retransmission of Russians propaganda through the own TV channel. The experts recommended the authorities to reform the Broadcasting Coordination Council and elect a new Council at a transparent contest. According to them, this will have a visible and real impact on the quality of broadcasting.
Two weeks ago, the PDM registered a bill to amend and supplement the Broadcasting Code. The draft law allows the TV channels to broadcast information- feature programs, news programs and programs of a military character only about the EU member states, the U.S. and Canada and the member states of the European Convention on Transfrontier Television.
