Internews in Moldova PROJECTS
Internews is an international non-profit that supports independent media in 100 countries — from radio stations in refugee camps, to hyper-local news outlets, to filmmakers and technologists. Internews trains journalists and digital rights activists, tackles disinformation, and offers business expertise to help media outlets thrive financially. For 40 years, it has helped partners reach millions of people with trustworthy information that saves lives, improves livelihoods, and holds institutions accountable.
The “Media Enabling Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova” (MEDIA-M) project, funded by USAID and UK, and implemented by Internews, aims to promote the development of an independent, professional media that gives citizens access to a variety of perspectives and to create a media sector that is more resilient to political and financial pressures. By focusing on the supply of and demand for objective information, this project will strengthen the ability of independent media to fulfill its role as a watchdog over the government and serve as a space for citizens to engage in public policy dialogue. Moreover, the program’s focus on the legal enabling environment will reinforce existing protections for freedom of speech, facilitate better implementation of laws, and advocate for media sector regulation in accordance with international norms.
MEDIA-M is expected to lead to an increased number of independent media producing quality content across a variety of traditional and digital platforms in rural and urban areas and create a more informed citizenry that understands the value of fact-based, credible journalism. MEDIA-M also aims to improve the capacity of local media support organizations to engender reform efforts in the media sector and participate as equal partners in their country’s democratic development. These objectives will be to be achieved, in part, through coalition building within Moldova, as well as exchanging best practices with counterparts in the Europe/Eurasia region and creating peer-to-peer partnerships.
The main implementing partners in this program are Freedom House and the Independent Journalism Center in Moldova.
Media Education and Literacy and Optimisation of Newsrooms (MELON)
In March 2024, Internews started the “Media Education and Literacy and Optimisation of Newsrooms” (MELON) project funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Moldova. The 24-month project supports two Russian-language independent media outlets through long-term tailored institutional support to improve their performance, financial sustainability, and media content quality. The project also improves the media literacy skills of Russian-language communities, particularly school and pre-school children and young people to consume media critically and make informed choices.
Supporting Expanded Newsroom Sustainability and Engagement (SENSE)
In September 2021, Internews launched a two-year initiative in Moldova, focusing on local media, titled Supporting Expanded Newsroom Sustainability and Engagement (SENSE). This project, extended until March 2025 with additional activities, aims strengthen regional independent media in Moldova outside Chisinau by helping newsrooms improve their financial sustainability and expand the reach of fact-based, locally relevant, and engaging content.
Strengthen Key Partner Regional Media Outlets (2021-2025): Five competitively selected regional media outlets—Nokta, TUK, Bas TV, Studio-L, and Observatorul de Nord— receive long-term support to advance their development. Plans for assistance, co-created with each outlet, drive systemic change based on regular capacity assessments. In Fall 2023, the project selected Zona de Securitate as its sixth Key Partner, ensuring equal support through intensive, on-site and online training, mentoring, and grant support.
Foster Networks and Skills Development (2021-2025): The project aims to enhance resource sharing among regional media by training promising Moldovan talents, focusing on regional journalists, photographers, editors, and managers. A network is being developed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise among these professionals.
Supporting “Passion Projects” (2022): Internews offered small grants to promising or influential media outlets not selected as Key Partners but interested in improving their content or business and engagement strategies. These grants supported initiatives driven by the outlet’s internal priorities.
Sales Academy (2023): Addressing the shortage of professional sales experts in Moldova, Internews conducted a Sales Academy to train specialists in this field. Participants underwent a three-month training program featuring practical courses on client relationship management, commercial proposal drafting, and efficient sales negotiations.
Citizen Journalism School (2024): To tackle the shortage of qualified personnel in Moldovan media, especially in regional outlets, Internews launched a Citizen Journalism School (CJS). This three-month basic journalism training program targets community members and non-professional journalists interested in news production, creating a pool of freelance authors for regional media.
Following Internews’ intensive capacity development approach, supported media outlets are expected to enhance their organizational, business, and editorial capabilities. This will lead to increased production of quality content, audience growth and engagement across multiple platforms, and diversified revenue streams, ultimately ensuring long-term sustainability.
Media Literacy Advancement and Support to Moldovan Media
“Media Literacy Advancement and Support to Moldovan Media” is a 36-month project funded by Sweden and implemented by Internews from December 1, 2022, until November 30, 2025. The project aims to contribute towards the growth of a diverse, independent, and financially viable media landscape in Moldova and to empower Moldovan youth to navigate their complex information environment.
This overall objective is achieved by:
- providing sub-grants and tailored mentoring to regional and national key media partners, and
- improving media literacy tools for pupils, teachers, and children with special needs.
Assessing Independent Media in Moldova 3 (AIM3)
Internews is implementing the US Embassy-funded “Assessing Independent Media in Moldova 3” (AIM3) project from August 1, 2023, through July 31, 2026. The long-term project goal is to promote the development of a sustainable, editorially and financially independent media sector that is able to provide objective, high-quality information across diverse perspectives and help citizens actively participate in civic life. The specific project objective is to determine the overall organizational capacity of approximately 10 independent media outlets per year in Moldova. This objective feeds into the project goal by providing the assessed outlets with data on their institutional, business, editorial, and technological, and security capacity so they can take informed steps forward in their planning and development and identify areas for improved management, financial sustainability, and content production and distribution.
