Moldova Media-M program
Freedom House proudly partnered with Internews to implement the multi-year MEDIA-M project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the UK.
Media Enabling Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova
Freedom House proudly partnered with Internews to implement the multi-year Media Enabling Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova (MEDIA-M) project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the UK. Through collaboration with partner civil society organizations in the country, Freedom House aimed to boost capacity in civil society to effectively monitor media and to improve the legal and regulatory environment for independent media. Freedom House’s activities addressed objective 2, which strived to build consumer understanding of independent, reliable, and high quality news, and objective 3, which intended to foster a regulatory environment in which independent media and media support organizations can thrive.
Program Initiatives
Access to Information Report
First Edition: November 2021
Access to information is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution of Moldova and the country’s legislation. However, the Moldovan government has not ensured the effective implementation of this right, failing to establish adequate legislative requirements that clearly define the content authorities must share, or to properly justify restrictions on information access. These are among the most significant conclusions of Freedom House’s new special report Freedom of Information Index: Measuring Transparency of Public Institutions in Moldova. This first annual report, published in November 2021, represents the first comprehensive review of the state of access to information in Moldova, and draws on an original methodological approach inspired by international standards and best practices.
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Presentation of the Access to Information Report (Romanian)
Presentation of the Access to Information Report (English)
Second Edition: November 2022
The second annual Access to Information report uses the same methodological approach to measure the change in the performance of public institutions in ensuring the right to information and introduces a new chapter on the progress of the Moldovan government in implementing the Tromsø Convention. The report’s results reveal that the legislation and implementation of the right of information in Moldova continue to come short of international standards and best practices. Systemic deficiencies in the disclosure of public information as well as inadequate institutional compliance threaten government accountability and require a comprehensive legislative framework that prioritizes proactive transparency and stronger, coordinated enforcement mechanisms.
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Presentation of the Second Edition of Access to Information Report (Romanian)
Presentation of the Second Edition of Access to Information Report (English)
Third Edition: December 2023
The third Access to Information expands on the previous reports and analyzes developments in 2023 to provide a comprehensive look at freedom of information in Moldova. The report considers possible effects of the new Law on Access to Information of Public Interest, which will come into effect in early 2024. As it stands, current legislation is ambiguous and public institutions still lack an adequate commitment to transparency, which means disclosure of public information falls short of international standards. But the authors express hope that the new Law on Access to Information of Public Interest will significantly improve the practice of handling information requests by individual public bodies.
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Fourth Edition: November 2024
The fourth edition of the Freedom of Information Index analyzes the implementation of the new Law on Access to Information of Public Interest, which came into effect in January 2024. This year, the authors note a marked improvement in both in the handling of public information requests and in proactive transparency under the new legal regime.
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Report on Media Freedom in Moldova 2020
In 2020, the legal framework governing Moldova’s media sector remained underdeveloped and poorly enforced, and prominent politicians regularly stonewalled journalists’ attempts to obtain information of public interest, including as relates to the pandemic. These are a few conclusions of Freedom House’s new Report on Media in Moldova, which draws on analysis and data from Freedom House’s Freedom in the World and Nations in Transit publications covering events from 2020. Read the full report here.
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Strategic Litigation for Freedom of Access to Information
Freedom House partner Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) defends freedom of access to public interest information in Moldova’s courts, targeting state institutions which refuse to provide information of public record. Each of LHR’s legal victories has a life beyond the specifics of the given cases, creating important legal precedents that will continue to govern the behavior of government agencies far into the future.
LHR’s Vreauinfo.md platform aims to facilitate submission of FOIA requests by journalists and other members of Moldovan society. The platform engages citizens to make use of Moldova’s Access to Information Act by helping to lower the barriers that prevent citizens from requesting information from those in power.
Media Policy Forum
The Media Policy Forum was a component of Media Forum 2022, held by Freedom House and the Press Council of the Republic of Moldova on November 22-23, 2022. At the event, experts representing Moldovan civil society, independent media, government, academic institutions, and the international community discussed the latest developments in Moldova’s media landscape including the transparency of public institutions, challenges of wartime journalism, and harassment of journalists.
Media Forum 2022 was made possible by the support of the Soros Foundation–Moldova and by USAID and the British Embassy in Chisinau through the MEDIA-M program, which is implemented by Internews in partnership with Freedom House and the Independent Journalism Center.
Freedom House’s panel discussion featured a presentation of the findings of the second report on access to information and offered the opportunity for experts to examine obstacles to the freedom of information in Moldova.
Advocacy Grants: Media Matters
Freedom House and partners provided small advocacy grants to local, registered non-governmental organizations and coalitions based in the Republic of Moldova, the Eastern Partnership Region, and the European Union that sought to enhance citizens’ ability to counter the spread of malign influences through disinformation in the Republic of Moldova. Through advocacy, education, awareness-raising and/or training initiatives, proposed projects aimed to promote constructive dialogue on polarizing issues and foster trust and resilience among key stakeholders, including government authorities, civil society and journalists.
Program Publications
Internet Freedom in Moldova
A first-of-its-kind publication, Freedom House's Internet Freedom in Moldova report assesses internet access, legislation regulating the digital space, and cybersecurity in the Republic of Moldova. The report finds that Moldova’s internet is relatively free, though the government has imposed some limitations in recent years, particularly during states of emergency during the Covid-19 pandemic and in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Cyberattacks on both state entities and media outlets remain a significant issue. Additionally, Russian actors have systematically used social media platforms to spread pro-Kremlin messaging.
Freedom of Expression and the Geopolitical Stalemate: Defending Digital Spaces in the Republic of Moldova
Moldova, like its neighbors in the region, faces challenges and threats to its national security due to the pervasive nature of media and information manipulation instigated by both internal and external actors. This challenge is particularly acute in digital spaces, where misinformation and polarized debate fomented by trolls and other impersonators seriously undercut the security and integrity of the public’s access to objective information. This toxic informational environment also fosters high levels of hate speech. This policy brief by local expert Victoria Rosa examines the trends and proliferation of freedom of expression online in Moldova, as well as the most acute challenges and threats, with an emphasis on information security. The brief examines the current legislative framework governing information security in Moldova, as well as the important efforts by civil society organizations (CSOs) to identify and draw attention to disinformation and fake news in the country’s digital space. It concludes with targeted recommendations for government, civil society, and the media community.
Reform of Oversight Mechanisms: Bolstering Media Freedom in Moldova
Freedom House engages top international experts to provide analysis and support to ensure that Moldovan frameworks uphold the highest standards for freedom of expression. Freedom House’s Local Representative, Tatiana Puiu, co-chaired the Parliamentary Working Group on audiovisual legislation, which concluded activities in December 2019. The working group contributed to several pieces of legislation that have passed into law, including the National Concept of Media Development, the Law on Attracting Investment for Film and Other Audiovisual Works Production, the Audiovisual Media Services Code and the Information Security Concept.
Legal Analysis: Assessment of Moldovan Audiovisual Legislation
Media law and policy expert Deirdre Kevin of CommSol evaluates Moldova's audiovisual legislation against international standards. Kevin provides recommendations for making more robust and specific legislation to increase transparency. This report is part of Freedom House's effort to publish expert analysis so that Moldovan legal frameworks uphold the highest standards for freedom of expression.
Expert Gap Analysis: The European Media Freedom Act and Moldova's media legislation
This report compares the European Media Freedom Act, adopted in May 2024, to Moldova's existing media legislation. The report's author, media law expert Deirdre Kevin of CommSol, recommends enacting a broader media law and increasing transparency around advertising and funding regulations to bring Moldova's media law in line with European norms.
Media Forward Policy Briefs
Restrictions on Freedom of Speech in Gagauzia: Threats to Democracy and Safety
Media expert Vitali Gaidarji assesses the media landscape in Moldova's Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia and finds that freedom of the press is restricted by the confluence of weak legal protections, politicization, and prevalence of Russian disinformation. Gaidarji provides recommendations for strengthening freedom of speech and protections of journalists in Gagauzia.
Assessing the Impact of Disinformation on Minority Communities in Moldova
The Society-Wide Battle Against Disinformation in Moldova
Informational Space in the Transnistrian Region - Media that Divides or Unites?
Victoria Rosa’s policy brief examines the closed media environment in the Transnistrian region of Moldova in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and the so-called presidential election in 2021, looking at how the region’s authorities use the media to advance their own political agenda of self-determination.
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Designing Effective Online Regulation for Moldova: Lessons and Best Practices from Abroad
Alexei Marciuc's brief examines trends in the regulation of the online environment in Moldova, considering the extent to which the country complies with international norms connected to freedom of expression, dissemination of information, and balanced monitoring of online content.
Regulation and Self-Regulation: Two Pieces of the Puzzle for a Healthy Media Landscape in Moldova
Radu Mirza’s brief critically examines the existing regulatory framework for media in Moldova and the interplay between state oversight and self-regulatory mechanisms, underscoring the need for new forms of multi-stakeholder cooperation on media regulation.
Media Policy in a Pandemic: Lessons from Moldova, Ukraine and Latvia
Authors Anastasia Nani, Lolita Buka, and Gina Lentine examine and compare government approaches to media policy in Moldova, Latvia, and Ukraine in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting independent media’s crucial role in contributing to an effective national health crisis response.
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Privacy and Freedom of Expression in Moldova: A Dangerous Imbalance for Journalists
COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons for Media Freedom in Moldova
Veaceslav (Slava) Balan's and Vladyslav Stegniy's brief analyzes the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on media freedom in Moldova, highlighting the troubling new opportunities the pandemic has provided authorities to stifle the press and the new burdens it has placed on independent media outlets.
Why Access to Information is Still a Problem in Moldova
The Fourth Estate in the Making: Regulation and Reform of Media in Moldova
The Mixed Electoral System: A New Challenge for Audiovisual Media in Moldova
"Moldnet" and the 2019 Parliamentary Elections
Igor Fomin’s brief analyzes the current landscape of online media that targets Moldova’s Russian-speaking populations, highlighting the important role of this media in influencing Moldovan popular opinion ahead of and during the 2019 Parliamentary elections.
The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same
Transnistria's Media in Times of Change
A new brief by Sergei Zveagintsev analyzes the how media in Transnistria remains under the control of powerful political interests. Infighting between elites in recent years has completely redrawn the media landscape, shuttering some publications and changing editorial lines.
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Seize the Press, Seize the Day: The Influence of Politically Affiliated Media in Moldova’s 2016 Elections
