Media Forward: Call for Proposals for Policy Brief Series



Media Forward: Freedom House Seeks Proposals for Policy Brief Series

Freedom House seeks proposals from both rising and experienced independent researchers, scholars, and affiliated research analysts, especially those based in Moldova, the Eastern Partnership region, and the European Union, for forward-looking briefs on the following theme:

The Society-wide Battle against Disinformation in Moldova

Over the past couple of years, disinformation has become a widespread issue in Moldova. The campaign against this deleterious trend has become a society-wide effort as unreliable information spreads through Moldova's media landscape.  Unfortunately, outlets often overlook or excuse the low quality and impartiality of the information published due to the lack of verification of content and malicious propaganda spread by various politicians.   

The ongoing wave of disinformation, coupled with the infodemic declared by the United Nations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, has compelled many non-governmental organizations, representatives of the media, and even the Moldovan diaspora to position themselves at the center of efforts to fight the spread of false and misleading information. These contingents work tirelessly both online and offline to address disinformation at a time when spreading mistrust and dangerous narratives is made easier by pre-existing divisions in Moldovan society. In this context, the fight against disinformation must be a collaborative effort that combines the forces of the government, civil society, the media, and the private sector to proactively preserve a healthy information ecosystem in Moldova and strengthen the resilience of Moldovan society to these harmful narratives.  Other countries in the region dealing with similar forms of disinformation have adopted holistic, cross-sectoral approaches to tackle this problem. For example, the approach adopted by the Baltic states and the key findings of the work conducted by the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence based in Riga and the Baltic Center for Media Excellence offer potential models for states such as Moldova to follow.  

This brief would examine the state of disinformation in Moldova, focusing on combatting disinformation as a society-wide effort. Proposals may consider the main issues in the current fight against disinformation, review the extent of disinformation sources in Moldova and their impact, and discuss the collaborative roles of civil society, the government, the media and the private sector in this campaign against disinformation. Competitive proposals will offer a set of recommendations to various stakeholders, including officials, civil society representatives, and the media, with respect to promoting cooperation and reducing the influence of disinformation in Moldova.  

Procedures:

Please submit concept proposals to eurasia@freedomhouse.org by February 6, 2022, with “Moldova Policy Briefs” in the subject line. The concept proposal should consist of an abstract of no more than 200 words, an outline of the argument and recommendations to be presented, and a CV of the principal researcher or researchers. Organizations may submit proposals for more than one brief. The priority will be given to concept proposals submitted in English. 

Contracted researchers will be asked to deliver a draft of 2500-3000 words by March 14, 2022. The brief will be published by Freedom House, with the byline and affiliation of the scholar or researcher. An honorarium of $250 per brief is provided. 

The “Media Forward” policy brief series is part of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the British Embassy in Chisinau funded project “Media Enabling Democracy, Inclusion and Accountability in Moldova” (MEDIA-M) and is implemented by Freedom House, Internews and the Independent Journalism Center of Moldova. 

Articol adaugat de: Olesea Garbuz