WORLD PRESS TRENDS - World Association of Newspapers

MOLDOVA
Commentary – Association de la Presse Independente de la Moldovie
Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe, but in 2002
its economy grew by 6.1% (though its currency, the lei, lost 5.6%
of its value against the US dollar). According to official figures,
600,000 Moldovans work abroad supporting about a million
still living in Moldova.
There are three types of newspaper in Moldova: those owned
by the state, those owned by political parties, and independent
private newspapers. State-owned newspapers are funded as
part of the national budget and publish only state-approved
POPULATION
information.
Newspapers face three main problems in Moldova. First, many
people are not interested in reading newspapers, and would
not be able to afford to buy one even if they were. Second,
much of Moldova’s economy is dependent on the black market,
and black market operators cannot advertise. Third, the state
imposes financial, administrative and legal obstacles to the
development of a democratic press, such as the amendment to
the Press Law that limits newspapers’ access to foreign capital.
Population by age and sex
All individuals Male Female
000 % 000 % 000 %
Children 828 23 423 24 405 21
16-24 662 18 335 19 327 17
25-34 492 14 244 14 248 13
35-44 555 15 265 15 290 15
45-54 464 13 218 13 246 13
55-64 287 8 124 7 163 9
65+ 343 9 129 7 214 11
Total 3,631 100 1,738 100 1,893 100
Source: Census 1989
NUMBER OF TITLES AND CIRCULATION
2002
Number of titles
National dailies 3
Non-dailies 108
National non-dailies 78
Regional non-dailies 19
Local non-dailies 11
Free papers 2
Circulation (000)
National dailies 60
Non-dailies 595
National non-dailies 481
Regional non-dailies 92
Local non-dailies 22
Free papers 2
Total annual sales (millions of copies)
Dailies 6.3
Non-dailies 30.9
Free papers 0.1
Source: Association de la Presse Independente de la Moldavie
MORE FACTS
Contribution of classified, display and insert
advertising to total advertising income (%)
2002
Display 90
Classified 9
Inserts 1
Newsprint costs
2002
Newsprint costs (average per ton)
Lei 9,000
Euro 600
Internet publishing (No. of online editions)
2002
Dailies 3
Non-dailies 40
Online readership (visits per day)
Newspaper 2002
Komsomolskaya Pravda 450
Nezavisimaia Moldova 350
Logos Press 300
Timpul 200
Moldavskie Vedomosti 200
Source: www.super.md
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS - WORLD PRESS TRENDS 2003 195