The Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (CALC) has today presented its fourth report on monitoring the behaviour of the media in the electoral campaign.

According to TRIBUNA, during the monitoring period (9 January – 16 February 2019), the frequency and duration of the material at 12 TV stations was 1049 items of direct and indirect electoral character. Thus, 983 news, 33 talk-shows and 33 debates, and the total volume of the materials being about 84 hours.

It should be mentioned that if we make a top 10 competitors in the national constituency, based on the 12 TV stations, according to the frequency and duration in the news, debates, talk-shows, of the representatives of the political parties, it would look like this: PDM – 344 times, PSRM – 280 times, Block NOW – 209 times, PŞ – 107 times, PL – 101 times, PN – 55 times, PCRM – 51 times, PR – 33 times, Party “Democracy Home” – 29 times and MPA – 26 times.

However, if we achieve a top 10 candidates in the constituencies based on these 12 channels, frequency and duration of appearance of the news it would look like this: Plahotniuc – 36 times, Ilan Sor – 17 times Vlad Bătrîncea – 16 times, Pavel Filip – 14 times, Valeriu Munteanu – 14 times, Călin Vieru – 14 times, Mihail Stratulat – 11 times, Monica Babuc – 11 times, Rodica Rusu – 11 times and Constantin Ţuţu – 11 times.

It should be mentioned that the CALC also monitored the online press, and during the reporting period, there were 882 materials.

Andriana Cheptine

Trainee translator: Mihaela Grosu