Global Media Manipulation: Insights from Eastern European Experience

Democracy’s Newest Threat: Media Manipulation Undermines Global Freedom

Democracy worldwide faces a growing threat from declining information integrity, as politically influenced media and poor journalism increasingly misinform voters, according to Freedom House’s annual “Freedom in the World” report. This trend has contributed to democratic setbacks globally over the past decade, with many countries caught in a dangerous balancing act between combating disinformation and preserving essential freedoms.

The challenge for democratic societies in the coming decade will be addressing media manipulation without sacrificing freedom of expression – a fundamental pillar of democratic governance. Moldova’s experience illustrates this difficult tradeoff, while also pointing to potential solutions that could be applied globally.

Media ownership concentration represents one of the most insidious threats to information integrity. A communications researcher warned as early as 2008 that the proliferation of content providers created a misleading impression of media diversity, while actual ownership was becoming increasingly concentrated through strategic acquisitions and sophisticated legal maneuvers.

Moldova exemplifies this problem, with numerous media outlets “captured” by political interests. These outlets depend primarily on politically connected owners for financing rather than advertising revenue, fostering reporting biases and disinformation that undermine genuine democracy. The Moldovan media market’s high concentration enables top owners to maintain powerful political positions and influence public opinion.

In response, Moldova implemented a law limiting broadcast licenses per individual. However, this targeted approach failed as politicians simply transferred legal control to loyal subordinates while maintaining de facto ownership. More sweeping initiatives have proven equally problematic, such as Moldova’s “media propaganda law” that effectively bans Russian news broadcasts and analytical programming within the country.

“The ‘media propaganda law’ is less about fighting disinformation and more a ploy to crowd out unwanted market competition,” notes the report, highlighting how broad legislative approaches can undermine the very democratic principles they aim to protect.

Different countries show varying degrees of information integrity. Norway ranks first on Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index due to its lack of censorship and political pressure, combined with effective civil society organizations and laws preventing ownership concentration. Norway’s regulatory approach focuses on market structure rather than content, which poses less risk to freedom of expression.

Civil society organizations offer two promising alternatives to legislative restrictions: media literacy programs and effective press councils. Norway has implemented successful media literacy initiatives, including online resources for high school students developed collaboratively by media outlets. Estonia, Eastern Europe’s highest-ranking country for press freedom, provides another model through its nonprofit press council that reviews complaints about false material published by content providers.

Moldova has attempted to replicate Estonia’s press council structure but struggles with low public recognition and limited participation. The 2018 Moldova Media Policy Forum brought together stakeholders from media, government, civil society, and international donors to discuss creating a more transparent media ecosystem, demonstrating how awareness-building can begin even in challenging environments.

Information integrity issues extend beyond emerging democracies to well-established media markets like the United States. Despite comprehensive education in subjects like mathematics, science, and language arts, American schoolchildren receive little formal training in media literacy. The information landscape is evolving faster than educational curricula, leaving students unprepared for the challenges to freedom of thought they will face as adults.

All democratic societies would benefit from incorporating information evaluation components into high school curriculums, supporting media ethics education for adults and journalists, and strengthening nongovernmental press councils that hold media outlets accountable. These measures can effectively counteract threats to information integrity without eroding the protections that define democracy.

As disinformation techniques become more sophisticated, the report concludes that only by fostering an informed electorate through media literacy and self-regulation can democracies preserve fundamental freedoms while maintaining the informed citizenry that true democracy requires.