ISPM 2025: Information security shows slight progress, but journalists are increasingly vulnerable

In 2025, information security in the Republic of Moldova from a media perspective showed a modest improvement compared to the previous year, but systemic vulnerabilities persist, particularly in relation to external influences and the unregulated online environment, according to the Index of the State of the Press (ISPM) for 2025, launched at the end of January by the Independent Journalism Center. According to the report, the security of journalists has regressed compared to last year, due to the frequency, diversity, and normalization of forms of intimidation, harassment, and aggression.

INFORMATION SECURITY: LIMITED PROGRESS, PERSISTENT RISKS

The data show that the score of the indicator assessing information security from a media perspective has increased by 1.5 points compared to the previous year, but the result continues to indicate a situation affected by serious problems.

The evaluators note that domestic media institutions contribute to a greater extent to strengthening the information space, including by complying with restrictions on the retransmission of informational and political content from the Russian Federation. At the same time, the authorities continued to sanction providers who violate audiovisual legislation, including in Gagauzia.

However, the analysis highlights that major vulnerabilities remain. The online media ecosystem is insufficiently mapped and regulated, and non-linear media services are not systematically monitored. The impact of hostile external actors persists, fueled by high consumption of Russian-language content and the rapid adaptation of disinformation networks to restrictive measures.

The report refers to a study on the assessment of media literacy in the Republic of Moldova, according to which a significant part of the population prefers to consume news in Russian, including native Romanian speakers, citing habit and a better understanding of the information. In this context, some experts believe that the 2025 amendments to the Audiovisual Media Services Code, which limit the share of media services in a foreign language to 30%, are a necessary step towards balancing the information space.

Although the media market in the Republic of Moldova remains pluralistic in numerical terms, and the Audiovisual Council consistently applies the legal criteria for granting licenses, there are providers that do not respect their commitments regarding pluralism and content quality. At the same time, professional online media and the podcast market have seen visible growth in 2025, offering diverse and high-quality content, while the impact of foreign media institutions remains ambivalent: some promote solid journalistic standards, while others, with a pro-Kremlin orientation, continue to represent a source of vulnerability for information security.

JOURNALISTS’ SAFETY – THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DECLINE

According to the document, the level of safety for media outlets and reporters recorded the largest decline of all indicators, falling by 3.5 points compared to the previous year.

Although no extreme cases such as seizure of print runs or systematic destruction of newsrooms were reported, the figures show that the frequency of online aggression, intimidation, and harassment has increased significantly. Journalists have been targeted by physical and verbal attacks in the context of protests, court cases, and election campaigns, and hostile discourse toward the press has become increasingly “normalized” in the public sphere.

“A determining factor in the negative assessment is the inefficiency of protection and sanctioning mechanisms, a fact repeatedly pointed out by non-governmental media organizations,” the authors explain.

WHAT THE EVALUATORS RECOMMEND

ISPM experts emphasize the need for a paradigm shift in both information security and the protection of journalists. Instead of predominantly reactive interventions, it is essential to build a systemic resilience framework based on strengthening a credible, competitive, and well-monitored media ecosystem, including through the mapping of non-linear media services and digital space. At the same time, vulnerabilities related to online information consumption should be addressed through policies to stimulate quality content and national media literacy programs.

At the same time, the report insists on a firmer and more predictable institutional response to the protection of journalists: new legal norms must be effectively enforced, assaults and harassment, including online, must be promptly investigated, and newsrooms and authorities are encouraged to adopt clear safety protocols so that the practice of journalism is no longer marked by systemic risks and pressures.