The number of reports on corruption and its prevention has dropped in quarter 3 of this year, reaching 716 relevant materials, compared to 999 recorded in the second half. After monitoring 16 media, the Independent Journalism Center published a report, financed by the US Government, Info-Prim Neo reports. Petru Macovei, an expert in the tracking project, told a news conference in Chisinau on Monday, that from July to September, the monitored media were less active in mirroring subjects related to corruption. One explanation is the summer period, when many media staff were on vacation. “Most of the reports (72%) referred directly to corruption, and the rest of them – collaterally, mentioning the phenomenon within the context of other topics. The leaders in producing reports on the subject remain Pro TV and EU TV, while NIT TV further had the largest number of reports in which corruption was viewed as secondary,” Macovei specified. According to Liliana Vitu, an expert with the project, the number of materials on concrete corruption cases rose to 27% of the total number of relevant materials, and the reports on anti-corruption programs – up to 28%. Statements or accusations related to corruption were the subject of 31% of the total number. Generally, mirroring the corruption subjects was problematic to some extent, Liliana Vitu added. No investigative reports were made in that period, except for three articles in print media. The materials based on information offered by alternative sources amount to 17% only, and only 20% of the relevant materials pursued the topics tackled once. The number of controversial materials presenting the position of all the sides involved contracted to 32%, the monitors say. The report assess the Moldovan media mirroring corruption-related cases and the mismanagement of public funds, the countering actions undertaken by the Government, politicians and NGOs. The monitoring is part of a project “Mirroring the corruption phenomenon in media”, implemented by the Independent Journalism Center, within the Program “Strengthening the monitoring capacity of the Moldovan civil society.”