A report on the monitoring of ten TV channels compiled by the Partnership for Development Center shows the female candidates are less present in news bulletins, talk shows and electoral debates staged by TV channels. In a news conference at IPN, Vasile Cantarji, expert of the Sociological Investigations and Marketing Center CBS-AXA, one of the authors of the report, said that even if this year we have the largest number of female candidates in the country’s history (42% in the national constituency and 21% in single-member constituencies), in the 154 news bulletins analyzed on ten TV channels during January 24 – February 3, the women’s presence was 18.5% in a key role and 27% in a secondary role.
Most of the news items with negative connotations featured men, but 8% of the news articles featuring women were negative in relation to women. Of 12 negative news articles about female candidates, 11 were against Maia Sandu. Of the 19 rounds of debates organized by TV channels in the period, almost half of these involved only men, while the others involved both women and men. There was no round of debates that would feature only women. The women’s presence at debates was 21% on average. Most of the times these had a secondary role and were presented as persons accompanying candidates. The TV channels prefer to invite men rather than women in prime time.
The monitoring of electoral adverts showed 60% of the protagonists were men and about 40% were women. According to the expert, the advertisements featuring more men than women are most often broadcast in prime time, while those featuring women mainly at night, when the audience is small. A gender balance in ads is ensured only during the day.
Alina Andronache, specialist in public relations and advocacy at the Partnership for Development Center, said the women continue to be disfavored compared with men. Even if we have the largest number of female candidates in this year’s parliamentary elections, the women’s presence in the media didn’t increase, while the positive news stories about women are mainly based on stereotypes existing in society.
