NIT continues to openly support PCRM, monitoring report

The private TV channel with national coverage NIT is still openly supporting the Communists’ Party, according to the 5th monitoring report of the Independent Journalism Center, presented as part of an initiative of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, Info-Prim Neo reports. The report, published on Tuesday, highlights that between November 8 and 14, NIT has broadcast only news that created a favorable image for PCRM and a worse one for the Alliance of European Integration. Other electoral competitors have appeared on NIT only during debates. Another channel with national coverage, Prime, has slightly supported a political party, the Democrats. Meanwhile, the 2 Plus channel has covered the campaign superficially, presenting brief information about the electoral competitors and their programs. According to the IJC director, Nadine Gogu, this channel has failed its role to inform the viewers. Overall, she thinks radio and TV stations have offered access to news and debate programs to a lot of competitors and have covered the subjects impartially. However, it seems that public television Moldova 1 has slightly disadvantaged Communists’ Party. N4, a channel with regional coverage, has broadcasted a lot of electoral subjects and opinions of various candidates, including independent ones. Nadine Gogu stresses that in N4 news programs, PLDM has most often appeared in a favorable light. The same reports states that Jurnal TV has favored PPnT and has disadvantaged PCRM. Meanwhile, Publika TV seems to have reported the campaign without preferring a certain electoral competitor. Among the radio stations, Prime FM and Vocea Basarabiei have obviously disfavored PCRM. Besides, the latter radio has preferred the Liberal Party, as its’ representatives and the interim president were offered a lot of opportunities to promote themselves. By the beginning of December, IJC intends to publish the final report about mass media coverage of the electoral campaign.