Digital and physical security training for Moldovan journalists, organised with EU support

Around 40 media professionals of various backgrounds and from all the regions of Moldova received practical training on digital & physical security and war journalism from top-notch experts, followed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

After the start of the Russian military aggression in Ukraine, the StratCom project surveyed more than 50 journalists of various backgrounds, representing different types of media (TV, print, online) from all the regions of Moldova. The scope of the survey was to find out if there is any specific capacity building need for journalists and their work in a new regional context. As a result of the survey, most of the journalists requested training on “digital and physical security”, as well as a workshop training on “war journalism”.

As a response to this demand, the StratCom project invited two experts on “digital & physical security and war journalism” from Georgia: Michael Devsurashvili and David Mdzinarishvili, both with vast experience in working in media during the war and delivering study case trainings for media professionals.

The training was held on 7-8 May 2022, in Chisinau, and gathered together more than 40 media professionals from all the regions of Moldova. The training has been organised in hybrid format: 30 participants attending the training physically, while the rest of them participating online. The two-day training focused on hand-on exercises and study cases combined with theoretical presentations on digital and physical security tips for journalists, as well as journalism in war context.

At the end of the training, the participants increased their capacities in understanding the deontological aspects of reporting on war and refugee crisis; understanding the practical aspects of physical security of newsroom and journalists; understanding and apply cybersecurity software and techniques during reporting; and implementing all the acquired skills in the newsroom and during field reporting. “This seminar answered several security questions I was looking for an answer to after February 24th. Then with the information provided I realized that you have to make a very accurate plan: where do you get the water from if the taps are closed? Where do you get your medicine from? Where are you hiding if they bomb you? And most importantly, I understood how to continue doing journalism in such conditions.” declared Polina Cupcea, journalist at Oameni și Kilometri, who attended the training.