Participants came from Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania and Germany.

Christoph Plate, Director of KAS Media Programme South East Europe

In a series of panels, the participants discussed how different strata of the society inform themselves, where the line between censorship and the freedom of expression is.

The participants visited the Government of the Republic of Moldova and learned about the challenges of implementing a new legislation, about the importance of justice reform, EU integration and economic recovery.

“The war is real. It is also a war about hearts and minds”, Christoph Plate, Director of the Media Programme South East Europe, said. A precise look into the societies on the fringes, which are torn apart between pro-Russian attitudes and those who oppose Russia’s imperialism is of great importance. The threat of Russian disinformation affects many societies and poses challenges for the media in particular.

A historical overview on the controversies and divisions in Moldova, that can be traced back in history, was presented in the beginning of the conference, offering a better understanding of the country’s background. The current developments in Moldova, the raise of democratic thinking and the need to fight disinformation have been addressed by the newly established Center of Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation (StratCom). Its concept was presented during the conference and combines a practical approach of engaging the society and the responsible authorities, as well as looking for sustainable institutional instruments to protect the democracy. Furthermore, the participants visited the Government of the Republic of Moldova and learned about the challenges of implementing a new legislation, about the importance of justice reform, EU integration and economic recovery.

A sober sight of the war was given by the journalists from Ukraine who attended the conference. They shared their personal experiences on how the Ukrainian media had to adapt very fast to the war. Their moral obligation to stay on spot of events corresponded with the mindset of foreign correspondents who were present at the conference and shared their experiences from the battlefield. Sadly, two years into the war, fatigue creeps in. The journalists debated on how to keep the people engaged by bringing the human touch, telling what the reality of war is.

In a series of panels, the participants discussed how different strata of the society inform themselves, where the line between censorship and the freedom of expression is. Psychological warfare and similarities of Russian propaganda in the countries on the fringes of war were debated in the context of upcoming elections in Romania and Moldova. The journalists underlined the need of the society for unbiased, trustworthy media, as well as secure ways to fight pro-Russian narratives.

The journalists from Ukraine encouraged their colleagues to fight with inspiration against the fatigue, to stay professional, but also to be flexible and to think outside the box.