point.md

Logo of point.md

Point.md, an informational portal launched by Simpals in 2006, has established itself as a leading online media source in Moldova. According to Gemius Audience data, it consistently ranks among the top five most visited websites in the country. The platform reports a substantial reach of approximately 2 million unique monthly users, with around 200,000 Moldovan users accessing the site daily.

The portal primarily publishes Russian-language content aggregated from various media outlets, though it also features Romanian-language news, including content from its sister site, Stiri.md. Point News is organized into ten sections: politics, economics, society, incidents, sports, world, science, ladies, cars, and business. Beyond news content, the platform offers additional services such as a currency converter, weather forecasts, and TV programming schedules.

A 2024 analysis by PressCheck.md identified several transparency concerns with Point.md's editorial practices. The site does not attribute articles to specific authors, and the "Editorial Staff" section provides only a general email address (info@point.md) rather than listing staff members and their contact information. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for readers to identify who is responsible for the published content.

Furthermore, PressCheck.md's monitoring revealed that Point.md occasionally publishes unverified information from other sources or single-source statements without proper fact-checking or additional context. This practice has sometimes resulted in the dissemination of false, incomplete, or misleading information. The site's approach to content verification and accuracy has led to instances where inaccurate information has been spread to its readership.

Key Facts

Audience ShareMissing Data
Ownership TypePrivate
Geographic CoverageTransnational
Content TypeFree
Data Publicly Available
ownership data is easily available from other sources, e. g. public registries etc.
Media Companies / GroupsSimpals

Ownership

Ownership Structure

The Point.md portal is managed by Simpals LLC, which is founded by Dmitri Voloșin(90%) and Roman Știrbu (10%).

Individual Owner
Group / Individual Owner
  • Roman Știrbu

    Roman Știrbu is the CEO of Simpals. Știrbu is also a member of the board of directors of the Association of IT and Telecom Enterprises of Moldova and a member of the board of directors of Startup Moldova, a non-profit organization founded by the Association of IT and Telecom Enterprises of Moldova.
    10

Media Companies / Groups

Facts

Founding Year2006
FounderDmitri Voloșin

Dmitri Voloșin describes himself on his blog as a "businessman, director, athlete, public figure, inventor, designer, and investor." Born in 1974 near Odessa (Ukraine, then USSR) at a military unit, he was raised by his father, a military officer, and his mother, a music teacher, both originally from Orenburg, Russia. The family later relocated to Moldova.

CEORoman Știrbu

Roman Știrbu, the CEO of Simpals, coordinates several businesses of the Simpals. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Information Technology and Communications Companies (ATIC) and a member of the Board of Directors of Startup Moldova, a non-profit organisation founded by the National Association of Information Technology and Communications Companies (ATIC).

Editor-In-ChiefDavid Melinte

According to information published on simpals.com, before becoming a product manager at Point, David Melinte worked in several spheres. "In terms of studies, he is a lawyer, but he has also worked in sales and was also a project manager in an IT company," says Simpals.com.

Contactstr. Calea Orheiului 28/1
MD-2059 mun. Chișinău
Moldova, Republic of
info@point.md, david.melinte@point.md
+373 22 888 001
www.point.md
RevenueMissing Data
Operating ProfitMissing Data
Advertising (in % of total funding)Missing Data
Market ShareMissing Data
Headlines
Meta Data

The website point.md does not publish information about the editorial team or the editor-in-chief. In the "About Us" section, contact information is provided, including the postal address, phone numbers, and email addresses. It is also mentioned that the project manager is David Melinte.

In response to MOM's request for information, representatives of Simpals LLC informed us that the Romanian language version of point.md was recently launched and that "due to this expansion, our editorial structure is still in the process of optimization. Although we have designated individuals responsible for managing content in Romanian and Russian, we have not yet officially defined the role of editor-in-chief for the entire site."

Sources
Documents (PDF)