Raport de Monitorizare a activităţii mass-media sub aspectul manipulării consumatorilor de presă

The Moldovan population, particularly those who speak Russian, have been exposed to biased and manipulative information from Russian media outlets, such as NTV, Rossia 24, and Pervyi Canal. This has led to a growing awareness among the population that the information provided by these channels is not accurate and is intended to manipulate public opinion. In response to this, the Russian Federation has launched a new media project, Sputnik Moldova, which aims to provide an alternative perspective on the relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The project, which is affiliated with the Russian propaganda agency "Rusia Astăzi", will offer news and analysis in Romanian, with the goal of presenting a different view on the development of relations between the two countries. However, experts have raised concerns that this new project may be used to diabolize Romania and indirectly target the European Union and the United States. The project's target audience is primarily the Russian-speaking population in Moldova, who are increasingly skeptical of the information provided by Russian media outlets. A recent study by the Center for Independent Journalism (CJI) has revealed that several media outlets in Moldova have been involved in manipulating public opinion. The study, which monitored 12 media outlets between November 2015 and January 2016, found that some media outlets have used techniques such as negation, omission, and exaggeration to present biased information. The study identified RTR Moldova, Publika, Prime, and sputnik.md as the most frequent offenders in terms of manipulating public opinion. The study also found that some media outlets have selectively presented information, omitting relevant details and presenting a biased view of events. The protests and political events in Chișinău have been reflected in the international press with varying degrees of objectivity. The protests, which began in September 2015, have been characterized by the presence of large crowds and the installation of tent cities in front of the government and parliament buildings. Russian media outlets have interpreted the protests as a projection of the Maidan movement in Kiev and have labeled them as a disappointment for the population regarding the European vector of Moldova. The emisiune "Vesti.doc" on the Rossia channel has described the protests as a "Maidan" in Chișinău, with a similar scenario to the one in Kiev, where the population is trying to overthrow the government.