Most of the ten TV channels monitored by the Independent Journalism Center (IJC) offered relatively equal access to election contenders whose campaigns were mainly covered correctly and impartially. A number of TV channels broadly covered the campaign activities of representatives of the central public authorities, usually in a positive context. The candidates of the Party of Action and Solidarity benefitted from positive image transfer in news items about the central public authorities, which were broadcast by most of the channels, with two channels disfavoring contenders by negative image transfer. The findings are contained in the third report on the monitoring of the audiovisual press in the campaign prior to the general local elections during October 24 – November 4.
The report was compiled within the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections.
In a news conference hosted by IPN, Grigore Stegărescu, secretary of the Coalition and ADEPT projects coordinator, said that the mission of the Coalition that consists of 39 public organizations is to contribute to developing democracy in the Republic of Moldova by promoting and encouraging the conduct of free and fair, transparent and inclusive elections. “As at the previous elections, the organizations that are members of the Coalition carry out a broad exercise to oversee and monitor the election process. Simultaneously, they conduct voter informing and civil education campaigns. Within the monitoring exercise, a separate chapter is devoted to the mass media, namely how the media outlets cover the election,” stated Grigore Stegărescu.
He noted that since the start of October, the ICJ – a member organization and founder of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections - monitored ten public and private TV channels with national coverage, which broadcast in Romanian and in Russian, namely Moldova 1, TVR Moldova, Jurnal TV, Pro TV, TV 8, Cinema 1, ITV, Orizont TV, Vocea Basarabiei, and Exclusiv TV.
Independent Journalism Center executive director Nadine Gogu said that a general conclusion of the monitoring is that the candidate of the National Alternative Movement Ion Ceban was favored by one TV channel and was disfavored by another three channels. The Chance Party in news items was mainly presented in a negative light at most of the monitored TV channels, except for two TV channels that evidently favored this party.
“Most of the electoral subjects were based on one source of information, while the conflict articles were principally balanced, with the opinion of the second party. The largest part of the monitored materials were balanced in terms of gender equality, the balance being inclined towards male sources,” stated Nadine Gogu.
Note: IPN News Agency offers the right of reply to persons who consider they were touched by the news items produced based on statements made by the organizers of the given news conference, including by facilitating the organization of another news conference in similar conditions.
