Around twenty journalists from print and online media, TV and radio stations accross the Republic of Moldova are now better prepared to cover the upcoming 2025 parliamentary elections campaign. They strengthened their knowledge of electoral processes during the Electoral School for Journalists, organised by the Council of Europe, in partnership with the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) and the Centre of Continuous Electoral Training (Training Centre) on 26-27 July 2025.
The activity aimed to ensure that journalists are familiarised with the recently adopted amendments to the electoral legislation, the specificities of the September 2025 parliamentary elections procedure, including the prospects of postal voting as an alternative voting method. Participants explored topics such as the financing of electoral campaigns, the digitalisation of electoral processes, and the information tools available from the Central Electoral Commission to support accurate and timely reporting.
Victor Ojog, producer of the TV show The Fourth Power (Puterea a Patra), shared his impressions: "I was impressed by the relevance and usefulness of the electoral information I received over these two days. As a programme producer, I am leaving with a better understanding of misinformation and manipulation, image crises and postal voting. It was great to meet fellow journalists and exchange experiences and opinions. I would like to participate in this type of event again in the future."
The training also included practical sessions on the interaction between journalists and electoral actors, addressing topics such as managing image crises during campaigns, tackling electoral disinformation and understanding how politicians tend to leverage the media’s influence.
"As representatives of the media, we have a responsibility to provide balanced coverage of the electoral process" said Lucia Vieru, reporter and presenter at Teleradio-Moldova. "It is therefore essential that we have a clear understanding of the legal framework and rules governing the election period, the campaign and, of course, election day itself. Thanks to the support of the CEC and the Council of Europe, we will be able to apply the knowledge we have gained to the materials we produce."
The activity was carried out in partnership with the CEC and the Training Centre within the Project ”Improving Electoral Practice in the Republic of Moldova (IEPRM) 2025-2028”, part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2025-2028.
