Between August and October 2020, the experts of the Centre for Consulting and Assistance to Regional Independent Media Outlets, set up by API, offered 99 free consultations to different categories of staff of print, online, radio and television newsrooms in Moldova’s regions.

The Consulting and Assistance Centre, reactivated by API in August inst., employs six male and female consultants in various areas: media management and advertising, legal, IT, web design, print design and accounting. Any regional newsroom that is API member or non-member but that meets the minimum criteria of editorial independence and professional integrity (not to be politically affiliated, not to have as founders and/or administrators parties and other political entities, institutions or local/central authorities or their representatives, to have signed and following the provisions of the Moldovan Journalist’s Code of Ethics), may request the services of the API Consulting and Assistance Centre.

In the past three months, the Centre's consultants have offered 60 consultations and organized thematic workshops for the editorial staff, with a total number of 39 participants. Hence, the media management and advertising consultant Irina Ghelbur held two online workshops and answered the questions of newsroom directors and sales managers; the accounting consultant Tatiana Prisacar provided consultations to the media outlet accountants; and Angela Ivanesi, print design consultant, held an online workshop and helped the newsrooms with layout and graphic design improvement. For help regarding webpage functionalities and accessibility, the newsrooms could call on the web design consultant Vitalie Harea; the lawyer-attorney Nicolae Frumosu answered any legal questions; and the IT consultant Dumitru Cecîrlan advised the newsrooms on issues related to technical equipment maintenance and procurement of new equipment. To strengthen the knowledge and skills of independent regional media staff, online workshops were held in September and October on the following topics “Monetization in Moldovan Media,” “Business Strategy for Media Outlets” and “Trends and Opportunities for Print Media”.

The API Consulting and Assistance Centre will be operational until June 2021, and the regional newsroom staff are urged to use the services of the Centre's experts by accessing the application on the electronic page www.api.md.

Program of Assistance for Independent Regional Media Outlets is implemented by the Association of Independent Press Association (API) and funded by the US Embassy in the Republic of Moldova. The opinions expressed within the project belong to the authors of the project and do not necessarily correspond to those of the US Embassy.