Context

The Republic of Moldova, which gained independence on August 27, 1991, has struggled to build a stable democracy over its 33-year history. After the Soviet Union's collapse, establishing an independent press proved challenging, leading to years of media dominance by political parties and individual politicians. 

This trend culminated in the period after 2010 when three politicians controlled the country's main TV stations, the main source of information for citizens. Russian propaganda programmes were broadcast by some of these stations. After the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, several Moldovan TV stations and websites linked to oligarchs or pro-Russian politicians were shut down or blocked. Some of them returned online under similar names. 

In the meantime, the internet, specifically social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, or, more recently, TikTok, have become the main channels through which  Moldovan citizens get  informed. The emergence of social networks has brought both new opportunities and challenges in the information landscape, including the alarming increase in misinformation and the impact of algorithms on the distribution of news by media outlets.

Bypassing journalists and media outlets, politicians and influencers are increasingly using social networks to communicate directly with the public, producing propaganda across all platforms, as well as posts with vested political interests, which are amplified by inauthentic behaviour generated by human bot farms or advertising.

Media penetration on various platforms and devices continues to increase in Moldova. According to the national survey "People's perception of media and media literacy in the Republic of Moldova", conducted by Magenta Consulting and published in March 2023 by Internews Moldova, the vast majority of respondents report that they had  a working TV in their household, as well as WiFi or cable internet connection. Online portals are by far the main source of information for Moldovans. 

In 2024, Moldova remains a deeply divided country, with just over half of its citizens wishing for the country to join the European Union, while the other half advocates full independence or better relations with the Russian Federation. The October 20, 2024 referendum where Moldovan citizens were asked whether they supported amending the Constitution by enshrining in the supreme law the "irreversibility of the European path" and whether they want EU membership to become a "strategic objective of the Republic of Moldova." The referendum was narrowly validated, with 50.35% of voters saying "YES" and 49.65% choosing "NO." Since 50.72% of the eligible voters turned out, the referendum was declared valid, and the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova can be  amended. The country's independent press has not been able to counter the widespread propaganda and disinformation and ensure that balanced reporting reaches nearly as many people as the disinformation.