CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Aquila Digital Community The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Dissertations Spring 2018 Media Framing of Moldova’s Democracy Between 1991 and 2014 Ecaterina Stepaniuc University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations Part of the Journalism Studies Commons, and the Mass Communication Commons Recommended Citation Stepaniuc, Ecaterina, "Media Framing of Moldova’s Democracy Between 1991 and 2014" (2018). Dissertations. 1526. https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/1526 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MEDIA FRAMING OF MOLDOVA’S DEMOCRACY BETWEEN 1991 AND 2014 by Ecaterina Stepaniuc A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School, the College of “Arts and Letters” and the Department/ School of “School of Mass Communication and Journalism” at The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Approved by: Dr. Mary L. Sheffer, Committee Chair Dr. Jae-Hwa Shin Dr. Troy Gibson Dr. Fei Xue Dr. Vanessa D. Murphree ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Dr. Mary L. Sheffer Dr. David R. Davies Dr. Karen S. Coats Committee Chair Department Chair Dean of the Graduate School May 2018 COPYRIGHT BY Ecaterina Stepaniuc 2018 Published by the Graduate School ABSTRACT This dissertation work seeks to analyze the implications of government and independent owned media outlets framing democracy in the Republic of Moldova from 1991 until 2014. Existing literature reports on the decisive role media played in the process of democratization when referring to former Soviet republics. To understand the role Moldovan media played in the democratization process, the author applied content analysis of three print publications and one televised news program to examine Moldova’s democracy between 1991 and 2014. The sample consisted of 346 Mesager script news stories aired on the public TV station in Moldova, and 608 newspaper articles and editorials printed in three national newspapers, Glasul Națiunii, Timpul de Dimineață and Moldova Suverană. The findings indicate that each news outlet framed democracy differently, mainly depending on the medium’s political interests and policies. Glasul Națiunii associated democracy with Moldova reuniting with Romania. Moldova Suverană as a government publication presented democracy positively, while as an independent publication framed democracy negatively. Timpul de Dimineață endorsed a balanced agenda when it came to presenting democracy to the Moldovan people and referred to both, positive and negative portrayals. Overall, the message on democracy evolved from a positive frame with Moldovan people welcoming the new governance system, to a negative frame indicating Moldova’s democracy stagnation. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am fortunate to have worked with an incredible team of professors and media professionals throughout my doctorate study. First of all, I would like to thank my dissertation chair, Dr. Mary L. Sheffer, for her close guidance and permanent support. Her encouragement and prayers motivated me to continue writing and complete my degree. She made time to meet with me on a weekly basis, check on my progress and give me suggestions to strengthen my study. She hasn’t just become a professional mentor, but also a friend for life. I also appreciate Dr. Fei Xue’s contribution throughout my doctorate program at the University of Southern Mississippi. It is because of Dr. Xue’s supportive recommendation that I ended up receiving a graduate assistantship with the School of Mass Communication and Journalism at USM, and was able to go this far in my education. My deep respect and gratitude go to Dr. Vanessa Murphree and Jae-Hwa Shin. I had the privilege to work closely with both of them as a graduate assistant. Their dedication to the profession motivates me to follow in their footsteps. A special thank you to Dr. Troy Gibson for making me curious about political topics research. I believe I have decided which topic to choose for this study after I took your political science research class. I would also like to express my gratitude to the director of the school of mass communication and journalism, Dr. David R. Davies. His constant support and willingness to help assured me that he cares for each individual student. It’s been an honor to serve under your leadership, Dr. Davies. Another incredible professor that has iii also become a dear friend is Dr. Cindy Blackwell. Her support and kindness impressed me since I first met her. Dr. Blackwell, I thank you for all your contribution, especially helping me participate and win the Three Minutes Thesis Competition at the University of Southern Mississippi. My success is actually our common victory. My appreciation also goes to the USM Foundation contributors. Receiving the donor’s financial support through the Arthur J. Kaul Memorial Fellowship and Robert Gene Wiggins Endowment helped with me pay for my trips to my native country and collect the data for this study. The university staff, librarians and fellow students have all positively impacted me to a certain degree, and taught me discipline, responsibility and dedication. I offer a special thank you to all my coders for their willingness to read hundreds of news articles and help me complete this dissertation study. I am forever indebted to my dear family. My supportive husband, Ghenadii Bitco, who believed in me and was willing to pause his career and his active social involvement in Moldova, so I could continue my education. My deceased father, Gheorghe Stepaniuc, whose words of encouragement to pursue my dreams and achieve my education endeavors have never left me. My mother, Maria Stepaniuc, supported me and constantly expressed her pride. I would also like to offer my special thanks to my American family who practically adopted me into their families. Thank you Frank and Roxie Porter for making it possible for me to come to the United States and enroll in school. I am forever grateful for your sacrifices, contribution and support. I am also thankful to Mae Ora Capshaw, who has been like a mother to me during my stay in Mississippi. Her love and care for me and my family will forever be appreciated. I cannot omit all the churches, iv families, and individuals who hosted my family and me, and helped us with all they could by making us feel welcomed and comfortable in the United States of America. Finally, I thank God for giving me this great opportunity to earn a doctorate degree in the United States. Above all, I thank Him for bringing incredible people in my life and allowing me to build life-long relationships. v DEDICATION I dedicate this doctoral degree to my supportive husband, Ghenadii Bitco, my newborn son, George Joseph, and my incredible families in Moldova, and in the United States of America, who have encouraged me to stay focused and reach the end of this road. Thank you! vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. x LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ............................................................................................. xi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1 Purpose of Study ............................................................................................................. 2 Structure of Study ........................................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER II – LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................... 5 Background on Moldova................................................................................................. 5 Media Used for Analysis ................................................................................................ 8 Mesager ....................................................................................................................... 8 Glasul Națiunii ............................................................................................................ 9 Moldova Suverană .................................................................................................... 10 Timpul de Dimineață ................................................................................................ 11 Values Democracy Promised to Offer .......................................................................... 13 Role of Media in the Fall of the Soviet Union .............................................................. 17 Previous Research on Moldova .................................................................................... 20 Moldova - A Hybrid Regime .......................................................................................