This Giving Tuesday, Stand With Moldova’s Independent Journalists
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
-
Transnistria
12 min read
The article discusses Zona de Securitate's coverage of this breakaway region where 350,000 Moldovan citizens live outside constitutional control. Understanding Transnistria's complex history as a Soviet-era separatist territory with Russian troop presence provides essential context for why independent journalism there is both dangerous and vital.
-
Ilan Shor
14 min read
Cu Sens's investigations tracked Shor's influence and Russian money flows into vote-buying operations. Shor is a convicted fraudster behind Moldova's billion-dollar bank theft who fled to Russia and orchestrates destabilization campaigns—understanding his background illuminates the threats facing Moldovan democracy.
-
Vladimir Plahotniuc
11 min read
The article mentions Cu Sens published the first footage of Plahotniuc's arrest in Greece. As Moldova's former oligarch who captured state institutions before fleeing corruption charges, his story represents the entrenched corruption that independent journalists work to expose.
Independent media in Moldova has been under its greatest pressure in years. Two small outlets - Cu Sens and Zona de Securitate - have carried a disproportionate share of the investigative work that kept the public informed. This Giving Tuesday1, through the end of the year, the Moldova Resilience Fund is raising funds specifically to support them.
The MRF Campaign
Starting today, the Moldova Resilience Fund will be conducting a fundraising campaign in support of independent media outlets Cu Sens and Zona de Securitate. From now until January 1st, 95%2 of the funds donated will be split between these media outlets and distributed to them in the form of flexible grants.
These flexible grants can support whatever these newsrooms need most, such as salaries, reporting trips, equipment, or legal and accounting costs.
For this campaign MRF selected 2 media outlets with a track record of delivering outstanding reporting and diving into topics that few others have. In spite of having small teams they have had an outsized impact on the public discourse.
Already sold? click here to support MRF’s campaign today. Every donation up to $1,500 will be doubled thanks to two generous donors excited about the mission. Together, we can boost the impact of independent journalists!
Founded in 2019, Cu Sens is an independent non-profit media organization. Their name translates loosely as “Making Sense,” and the mission is to:
“Strengthen democratic processes and civic engagement in Moldova through fact-based, engaging, and accessible investigative journalism that informs, educates, and empowers citizens.”
In the last year, Cu Sens made a huge impact, far out of proportion with the size of their newsroom, through their investigations into attempts to manipulate Moldova’s elections. In the last 2 years they:
Tracked Ilan Shor’s influence and money flows from Russian banks into a large-scale vote-buying operation.
Worked with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network to trace Moldovans trained in Republika Srpska and Russia for election-related destabilization.
Investigated the fake donors behind Evghenia Gutsul’s campaign, a case that led to her detention and the ongoing criminal case.
Was the first outlet to publish footage of Vladimir Plahotniuc’s arrest in Greece.
Produced in-depth profiles of the top three candidates of every party, offering equal treatment and clear, fact-based background on their wealth and past activities.
Cu Sens are members of the Global Investigative Journalism Network and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. They have
...This excerpt is provided for preview purposes. Full article content is available on the original publication.