Tbilisi. Media Advocacy Coalition releases a statement in regard to needs of radio broadcasters. “We, coalition member organizations, have got familiarized with the draft strategy related to announcement of tenders for obtaining licenses for private air broadcasting and developed by the Communications Commission (hereinafter referred to as the “Commission”). Our demand is to establish a state commission with the engagement of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, the Administration of the Prime Minister of Georgia, towers infrastructure, international (including ITU) experts and other specialists. We express our readiness to participate in the operation of such an inter-agency commission again. We believe that such planning will make it possible to take care of survival of the radio sector and create proper conditions for its development. At the same time, the Coalition considers it necessary to involve the European Union Monitoring Mission, our reliable partner, in the process for consultations”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Civil society organizations operating in Adjara call on Tornike Rizhvadze, Chairman of the Government of Adjara, to “respect rights and dignity of every citizen, living in the region, and adhere to universally recognized ethical principles”. “Statement of Tornike Rizhvadze, which he made to appraise the several-day hunger strike of Alexandre Milorava, demanding resignation of Director of Adjara Public Broadcaster, does not correspond to both his status of a state-political official and norms of ethics”. Read more…  Source:The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The Coalition for Media Advocacy considers that developments occurred around Adjara Public Broadcaster are still critical. “So far it is the seventh day of the hunger strike that takes place in front of Adjara Broadcaster. Shorena Glonti, Head of News Service, has also become a victim of persecution and harassment, she has even been fired from her work today. The responsibility for these and other events lies with authorities of Adjara Broadcaster - Director and Board of Trustees”. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. According to information released by the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), on August 2, 2018, the Georgian National Communications Commission established a N(N)LE “Mediaacademia”, the purpose of activity of which is to promote development of media literacy in Georgia. As the blog post states, the organization requested various types of information from “Mediaacademia”, however, IDFI got refused to receive information. There was submitted a complaint at the National Communications Commission against this decision, but the commission refused to conduct a thorough review of it. “IDFI filed a lawsuit in the Tbilisi City Court in order to protect its rights and inform public. IDFI hopes that the court will take a decision in compliance with law, confirm that “Mediaacademia” is an administrative body and oblige it to release public information”, - is noted on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) publishes a blog post: Facebook cleansing survivor fake media network. “Based on observation of ISFED, there are currently 5 sponsorship oriented closely linked to each other pages on Facebook, which also use other platforms and websites of social media. These pages of fake media have been reactivated on Facebook with the modified tactics since January 2020, however, their main strategy is unchanged: they attempt to present themselves as a real media and carry out a sponsored propaganda campaign through this veil. They create a unified coordinated network in favor of the Government. The average number of those who like and subscribe these fake media pages is around 5,000, however, posts published on them have a high level of interaction thanks to sponsored posts. Half of the published posts are sponsored. More than 99% of the total interaction of pages (the sum of reactions, comments and shares) comes on these posts”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: isfed.ge

Tbilisi. Media Advocacy Coalition proposes to participate in a one-day action in support of journalists of Adjara TV and Radio of Public Broadcaster to be conducted on May 21.  “This is a continuation of the solidarity campaign, initiated by Media Advocacy Coalition, this time with non-governmental organizations/civil activists and supporters of the idea of public broadcasting. Above activity includes posting a cover, reflecting solidarity, on your organization and/or personal Facebook page. Our hashtag is - # SolidarityToAdjaraBroadcasterJournalists The action will take place on Thursday, May 21, 2020. You can use a published photo as a cover. Media Advocacy Coalition expresses its gratitude for your distinguished participation in the process of protection of the idea of public broadcasting”, - is stated on the website of the Coalition in a social network.  Read more…  Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. Media Advocacy Coalition member organizations respond to information released by Head of the TV 25 News Service in regard to unequal treatment of the broadcaster. “On May 18, 2020, the journalist made a public statement that the Government of Adjara started to boycott them. The role of media in development of a democratic society is irreplaceable. It is the duty of journalists to inform taxpayers about actions of officials they hire and consequences, though this process may not depend on wishes of public servants because relation with media is an accompanying attribute of public activity”, - is noted in the statement. The Coalition addresses Mr. Tornike Rizhvadze, Chairman of the Government of Adjara, to reconsider the policy of relation with media, while requests Public Defender to study the case. Read more… Source: The website of the Coalition in a social network

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), on behalf of employees, unlawfully dismissed from Adjara Public Broadcaster, has applied to both the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the General Prosecutor’s Office to launch an investigation in and criminal prosecution against Giorgi Kokhreidze, Director of Adjara Broadcaster. “In its comprehensive review, submitted to law-enforcement authorities, EMC provides evaluations, including those of international organizations (OSCE, Council of Europe, Reporters Without Borders), Public Defender and local organizations working on human rights, which openly talk about facts of interfering in the editorial policy of the broadcaster, persecution of its journalists and control over it”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to the fact of dismissal of Malkhaz Rekhviashvili, Chairman of the Alternative Trade Union and host of the TV program “Hashtag”, from his job at Adjara Public Broadcaster. “The organization considers that this decision, taken by the new management of the broadcaster, is a continuation of the process of persecution of critical thinking, weakening of the Alternative Trade Union and destruction of the independence of the broadcaster, which is already becoming alarming”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. “International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy” has revealed a network of fake media sites on “Facebook” having signs of tight coordination and attempting to spread pro-government messages non-authentically as well as to demonize critical thinking using disguised and homogeneous tactics. “Besides pro-government articles, these fake media sites spread also deliberate misinformation to discredit public figures and opposition leaders who criticize the government”. Read more… Source: isfed.ge

Tbilisi. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy publishes a blogpost: Russian information operation on Facebook encouriging political polarization in Georgia and inauthentic accounts involved in it. “On April 30, 2020 Facebook removed from its platform Kremlin’s propagandistic information agency News-Front’s pages in Georgian and other languages that they used in various countries. As part of its social media monitoring, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) was studying News-Front Georgia and Facebook accounts connected to it since November, 2019. News-Front is a Kremlist information agent that operates in Georgia and was actively using Facebook to wage pro-Russian and anti-Western campaigns”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: isfed.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a blog post: Chronicle of the three-month persecution of Adjara Public Broadcaster journalists. “This process started in April 2019 with an arbitrary and politicized impeachment case of Natia Kapanadze and took aggressive forms after appointment of a new director. Overall, the new management has fired majority of employees, having key positions in the news service, or transferred them to another job”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) publishes a blog post: Russian propaganda and COVID-19 - Should Georgia expand trade relations with Russia or not? The blog post serves as a response to an article by Beso Barbakadze, a journalist: “Vital artery of Georgia passes through Russia”. There is stated in the article that on the background of the crisis, occurred due to the Coronavirus, European countries will no longer be able to supply Georgia with the products they used to export until now, and that it is, therefore, important for Georgia to start negotiations with the Russian Federation in regard to expansion of trade relations. “The current situation, as well as past experience, shows that there is a necessity not in enhancement of trade relations directly with Russia and thus in increase of dependence on it, but in diversification of both import and export, so as to make sure that economic stability of the state does not depend on processes ongoing in any other country or it does not become a tool in hands of authorities of another country”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a recommendation of the Ombudsperson that was issued by her in regard to cases of Shorena Glonti, Maia Merkviladze and Teona Bakuridze, those dismissed from Adjara TV and Radio of Public Broadcaster. “It is important to note that in her comprehensive recommendation the Public Defender substantially agrees with the legal justification and argumentation, which has been presented by EMC in lawsuits, already submitted in court on all three cases. EMC will share the text of the recommendation with the court soon and we hope that opinions of the Public Defender will further enhance the process of protection of legal interests and rights of Shorena Glonti, Maia Merkviladze and Teona Bakuridze”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics publishes a guide: Ethical dilemmas while covering the pandemic. “This part of the guide is dedicated to those ethical dilemmas that the media may face while covering a topic of the pandemic”. Read more… Source: www.qartia.ge

“Media Advocacy Coalition” member organizations consider that persecution and harassment of employees due to their differing views still continue to take place at Adjara Public Broadcaster.  “On April 21, 2020, Giorgi Kokhreidze, Director of Adjara TV and Radio of Public Broadcaster, removed Teona Turmanidze, one of the hosts of a news program “Mtavari”, from the air. As the journalist herself wrote on Facebook, she was told that the reason entailing mentioned decision was a viewpoint posted by her in a social network in regard to the broadcaster”, - is noted in the statement. Read more…  Source: The website of the Coalition in a social network

Tbilisi. USAID’s ACCESS program provided a grant to the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics to provide accurate information about COVID-19 in ethnic minority communities. "The Charter will use the funding to develop public health materials in Armenian, Azerbaijani, Abkhaz, and Russian languages and distribute through social media and local media outlets. USAID is supporting community initiatives to combat COVID-19 through our ACCESS program, which provides grants to local organizations helping reduce the spread of COVID-19 and support at-risk individuals and communities". Read more… Source: Social network

Tbilisi. The Open Society Georgia Foundation launches a large-scale project together with 14 regional TV channels, broadcasting in Georgia, and the Journalism Resource Center in order to inform population of the region better about COVID 19. “From April 15, there will be broadcasted a daily special program on each channel that is going to inform local population about the pandemic and analyze current news with invited guests in the context of COVID 19. This is a good opportunity to convince population of the region once again that social distancing is important. Besides, these programs will enable citizens to pose relevant as well as interesting for them questions and receive answers not only from the capital, but also from local government officials, doctors and healthcare professionals, teachers and law enforcers”, - is stated on the website of the Foundation in a social network. Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. According to information of Media Checker, the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics prepares guidelines for media in regard to COVID-19 coverage – “Ethics, safety and mental health while covering the coronavirus pandemic”.  “By this time the Charter has already elaborated guidelines for organizing distance working, while it will gradually publish thematically sorted recommendations in regard to other challenges occurred for media in parallel with the coronavirus pandemic. As the Charter states, media assumes a special role while covering issues related to coronavirus and it is important to adhere to principles of ethical journalism: accuracy, fairness, impartiality, etc. At the same time, media must be especially careful when using terminology”.  Read more…  Source: www.mediachecker.ge

Tbilisi. European Union in Georgia publishes a blog post: Covid-19: Disinformation can kill. “The COVID-19 outbreak is a global challenge that needs to be addressed at all levels of society: we have a responsibility as individuals to make sure we don’t spread the virus and take care of each other. Municipalities, regions, and states all have obligations to secure medical services, take care of the weakest and most vulnerable among us, and maintain public order. Academia and the wider research community, the private sector, the EU, the UN, and other regional and international bodies all have their designated responsibilities and functions. In the end, the effectiveness of the global response boils down to trust and cooperation. The Kremlin’s disinformation machine is seeking to undermine this essential solidarity at a time when disinformation can well and truly kill”. Read more… Source: eeas.europa.eu

Tbilisi. International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) publishes a blog post: Russian information operation in Georgia - Coordinated network of “Sputnik” on Facebook. “ISFED discovered a suspicious scheme for coordinated dissemination of materials of Russian media source “Sputnik” in the Georgian space of “Facebook”. As a result of observation of open sources of “Facebook”, the organization came to the conclusion that fake personal “Facebook” accounts and certain thematic “Facebook” pages create a non-authentic coordinated scheme to disseminate materials posted on the website of “Sputnik”. Read more… Source: isfed.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) once again calls on Georgian Public Broadcaster to use its TV air and regularly update non-Georgian speaking population of Georgia regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and its prevention. “The team of the First Channel already spends significant efforts in order to make information available in different languages, however it almost does not go beyond the format of a web platform. It is noteworthy that in the circumstances when the television is often basic source of information in the villages of Marneuli and Bolnisi, main attention should be paid to specifically those mediums that provide the fastest and most comprehensive information updates for non-dominant groups”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge