Some of the portals in the presidential election campaign continued to be biased through the frequency of the published articles that promoted particular candidates and discredited opponents. Many of the published articles didn’t make a clear difference between facts and opinions. In some of the cases, the articles were clearly misinforming. Candidate Maia Sandu continued to be the target of an orchestrated disadvantaging campaign staged by portals affiliated editorially to the Party of Socialists and the campaign was marked by the publication of tendentious information, manipulation of data and figures, speculations that in parts had elements of hate speech, shows the fifth report on the monitoring of the online media during the campaign prior to the presidential elections compiled by the Association of Independent Press (API) as part of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections.
In a news conference at IPN, API excurse director Petru Macovei said that 12 portals had been monitored during October 23-31, namely Actualitati.md, Agora.md, Aif.md, Gagauzinfo.md, kp.md, Newsmaker.md, Noi.md, Realitatea.md, Sputnik.md, Timpul.md, Unimedia.info, Vedomosti.md. The editorial behavior of the portals actualitati.md, kp.md and aif.md had pronounced elements of bias. They clearly promoted and favored Igor Dodon and most often disfavored Maia Sandu, followed by candidate Renato Usatyi.
Noi.md, Vedomosti.md and Sputnik.md favored Igor Dodon by the tone and the presentation in a positive light. Maia Sandu was most often disfavored. Other candidates were also disfavored, especially by Vedomosti.md.
Gagauzinfo.md showed disinterest in the nationwide electoral campaign. Timpul.md published few articles and some of these disfavored Igor Dodon. Unimedia.info covered the electoral process and activities of candidates. Igor Dodon, Andrei Năstase and Violeta Ivanov appeared in favorable contexts most often.
Agora.md and Newsmaker had a relatively balanced editorial policy and the articles were unbiased. Agora.md ensured the best balance as regards the quantitative coverage of candidates’ activities. Realitatea.md presented the candidates both neutrality and positively and negatively. Igor Dodon appeared most often in a disadvantaging context.
The report was produced by the Association of Independent Press in the framework of a mass media monitoring project that is financially supported by the National Endowment for Democracy.
