Media Forward: Call for Proposals

Media Forward: Freedom House Seeks Proposals for Policy Brief Series

Freedom House seeks proposals from both rising and experienced independent researchers, scholars, and affiliated research analysts, especially those based in Moldova, the Eastern Partnership region, and the European Union, for forward-looking briefs on the following theme:

The Differential Impact of Disinformation on Minority Communities

Over the past couple of years, disinformation has become a widespread issue in Moldova. The outbreak of war in neighboring Ukraine in February 2022 only exacerbated this trend, as unreliable reporting and rumors regarding refugees and bomb threats in Transnistria have multiplied on social media. Unfortunately, outlets often overlook or excuse the low quality and impartiality of the information published due to the lack of verification of content and malicious propaganda spread by various politicians.   

In this context, it has become important to acknowledge the divisive impact of these inaccurate narratives on specific underrepresented communities in Moldova. From one perspective, analysts can scrutinize the ways in which myths, stereotypes, and rumors related to minority communities manifest themselves in popular threads of disinformation. As recent research has shown, the explosion of disinformation campaigns (especially following the onset of the COVID-19) pandemic has hurt social cohesion across Europe and negatively affected the ability of groups such as Roma and Muslims to enjoy their fundamental rights. In Moldova, the pro-Russian Socialist Party has employed negative stereotypes about women, LGBTQ residents of Moldova, and Syrian refugees to generate conservative public sentiment against pro-European officials, including current president Maia Sandu. At the same time, observers must seek to understand the extent to which minority communities are receptive to disinformation campaigns. The prevalence of Russian state-sponsored television channels and media platforms – which are often rife with disinformation – among minority communities and in Transnistria and Gagauzia makes this phenomenon even more worthy of attention.

This brief would examine the differential impact of disinformation in Moldova, looking at how the spread of false and misleading news has a pernicious effect on minority communities. Proposals may consider the specific themes related to ethnic, religious, and gender minorities that dominate the disinformation space, review the impact of disinformation on these communities relative to the majority ethnic Moldovans, and discuss potential strategies to combat the spread of disinformation both targeted at and against these communities. Competitive proposals will offer a set of recommendations to various stakeholders, including officials, civil society representatives, and the media, with respect to promoting cooperation and reducing the influence of disinformation in Moldova.  

Procedures:

Please submit concept proposals to [email protected] by October 14, 2022, with “Moldova Policy Briefs” in the subject line. The concept proposal should consist of an abstract of no more than 200 words, an outline of the argument and recommendations to be presented, and a CV of the principal researcher or researchers. Organizations may submit proposals for more than one brief. The priority will be given to concept proposals submitted in English. 

Contracted researchers will be asked to deliver a draft of 2500-3000 words by November 18, 2022. The brief will be published by Freedom House, with the byline and affiliation of the scholar or researcher. An honorarium of $500 per brief is provided. 

The “Media Forward” policy brief series is part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the British Embassy in Chisinau funded project “Media Enabling Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova” (MEDIA-M) and is implemented by Freedom House, Internews and the Independent Journalism Center of Moldova.