Media in Transnistria and Gagauzia

Two regions of Moldova appear to be media-isolated from the rest of the territory, with their inhabitants being largely exposed to Russian propaganda content, as most are Russian speakers. Thus, in the breakaway Transnistrian region, there is no free press, while in the autonomous Gagauz region, most media resources are under the influence of local governance controlled, in turn, by fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, who is in the Russian Federation.

In the Transnistrian region, there are approximately 50 mass media outlets, according to the registry of the so-called Minister of Digital Development in Tiraspol. These do not comply with Moldova's national legislation and are not registered with the Public Services Agency in Chisinau. Most are controlled by the unrecognized authorities in Tiraspol and the Sheriff holding company, led by businessman Victor Gusan, who controls most of the economy in the region.

State media is administered by the Transnistrian State Television and Radio Company, which reports to the so-called Ministry of Digital Development and Communications and is funded from budgetary resources. This includes the TV channel Pervii Pridnestrovskii, Radio Pridnestrovia, and the news agency Novosti Pridnestrovia (Novosti PMR).

Pervii Pridnestrovskii was founded in 1991 as a propaganda tool for local separatist authorities. The channel receives money from the separatist region's budget but is controlled by Sheriff Holding, as shown by the online publication specializing in Transnistrian issues, Security Zone.

There are also three newspapers belonging to the so-called Transnistrian authorities: Pridnestrovie, Nistrean Truth, and Gomin. These appear in print and online versions, but the print version can only be obtained through subscription, not purchase. All praise the Tiraspol leadership.

The Sheriff holding dominates the private media market in the region. This includes the television channel TSV (Television of Free Choice), and several radio stations: Radio Inter, Radio Shanson, Radio Dacha, and Dorozhnoe Radio. Sheriff also owns the largest mobile phone operator and the largest cable TV transmission operator, Interdnestrkom Company. In this network, which covers all of the Transnistrian region, the population can mostly watch Russian propaganda television channels, while those from the right bank of the Dniester are not included.

There are also several television stations that could be considered independent, but they do not report on political events or human rights: Lik-TV, a local station from Rybnitsa, or Vtranse Live.

In the Transnistrian region, practically no free and independent journalistic activity can be conducted. As shown in the Promo-LEX Association's report for 2023, legislation adopted by the so-called authorities establishes sanctions for criticizing the regime, the so-called "president" Vadim Krasnoselski, the Russian army, and the peacekeeping mission located in the separatist region. There are also several cases where activists have been arrested and condemned for their political opinions.

In the Freedom House report for 2024, the Transnistrian region of Moldova is recognized as a not-free territory, with a score of 18 out of 100.

„Authorities closely monitor and control the public media, and Sheriff Enterprises dominates private broadcasting, leading to widespread self-censorship. The territory’s few independent print outlets have limited circulation. Critical reporting can result in reprisals including criminal charges. The government also uses bureaucratic obstruction and withholding of information to inhibit independent journalism”.

The media space in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia is heavily influenced by Russian disinformation and political capture of public and private mass media. Only a few online sites have a balanced editorial policy and don't promote Russian narratives.

Local politicians use mass media to promote their interests and discredit opponents, according to a Freedom House report for 2024. An example is how, since March 2022, the public television in Comrat, GRT, managed by the Public Institution Gagauziya Radio Televizionu, was captured by the local government, controlled by fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor. The television thus became a source of Russian narratives, especially against the European Union. Additionally, people loyal to Ilan Shor began appearing on shows, while politicians and deputies who expressed critical opinions about Shor and the Executive Committee of Gagauzia ceased to appear.

In recent years, GRT has been sanctioned multiple times by the Audiovisual Council, especially for spreading disinformation. Additionally, media NGOs have consistently expressed concern over the past year about the ethical breaches within GRT, condemning elements of censorship. Previously, the editorial policy of the public television station in the Gagauz region was influenced by ruling political parties and leaders, with the television management or the Observer Council often being changed with changes in governance.

Another television station in the Gagauz region, this time private, ATV, has also been sanctioned by the Audiovisual Council for spreading disinformation.

One of the most influential news sites in the Gagauz region is Gagauznews, which publishes in Russian and also represents a propaganda tool. The site is controlled by Victor Petrov, advisor to the Gagauz region's bashkan (governor), Evghenia Guțul. This resource was blocked a few days after the Russian military invasion of Ukraine and the declaration of the State of Emergency in Moldova by the Information and Security Service (SIS) of Moldova. Gagauznews was qualified as a "promoter of information that incites hatred and war under emergency conditions." However, the site continued its activity by changing its domain from gagauznews.md to gagauznews.com, and remains active today. According to the StopFals.md portal, which specialises in dismantling falsehoods and propaganda narratives, Gagauznews.com has repeatedly spread falsehoods.

Gagauzinfo is another Russian-language portal from the Gagauz region. It is controlled through an intermediary by Irina Vlah, former bashkan of the autonomous region. Several monitoring efforts by non-governmental organizations, such as the Independent Journalism Center, have previously shown that gagauzinfo.md favoured Irina Vlah when she was bashkan. Currently, the site publishes multiple news items from Irina Vlah's political statements, often with accusations against the current government, without offering the right to reply. Additionally, gagauzinfo.md is among the sites that have spread false and manipulative information.

Among the few media outlets that reflect social-political events in the Gagauz region impartially is nokta.md portal, launched at the end of December 2017. The Russian-language site is a project of the non-governmental organization Piligrim-Demo, whose director and founder is journalist Mihail Sirkeli. The nokta.md portal positioned itself from the start as a promoter of data journalism, publishing analyses, news, and articles in the data journalism style. Subsequently, the portal diversified its journalistic genres and currently publishes news, reports, long-reads, interviews, vox pops, author shows, and podcasts. Throughout the years of activity, Nokta.md portal journalists have been repeatedly attacked, intimidated, and threatened by local power representatives. The nokta.md portal and its journalists were awarded in 2022 at the Journalists of the Year Gala, organized by the Independent Journalism Center, in the editorial category. In 2023, the Press Council of the Republic of Moldova designated Nokta.md as the winner of the National Prize for Journalistic Ethics and Deontology.

Another portal that presents information impartially is Laf.md, launched in 2020 by the non-governmental organization "Media Birlii - Media Union". The portal is in Russian but also has content in the Gagauz language. It reflects current events in the Gagauz region, as well as at national and international levels. It also publishes explanatory articles and counters Russian and anti-EU propaganda.

In June 2022, the broadcasting of Russian news programs on radio and television was banned in Moldova, with only Russian films, series, music, and entertainment programs being allowed. However, several cable operators in the Gagauz region defied the law and continued to transmit Russian news programs, being sanctioned by the Audiovisual Council.