Tbilisi. The Coalition ''For Media Advocacy'' welcomes the adoption of 2015-2016 priorities of the Public Broadcaster's Board of Trustees as a result of public discussions. The Coalition has released a statement over this fact: ''We believe it was essentially important for improving the Public Broadcaster's operations that within the framework of public administrative proceedings and through a dialogue with interested public the Trustees have managed to improve a two-year working document of public channels and to develop a document relatively better oriented on current challenges. A final document reflects significant ideas offered by interested parties to the Board of Trustees'', the statement says. Read more... Source: www.media.ge

Tbilisi. The Media Development Fund has released a report "Budgetary funds in media disseminating hate language and anti-Western attitudes". For the full text... Source: mdfgeorgia.ge

ShidaKartli. A summary event of another group of Media School functioning with Society "Biliki" has taken place. Over three months, Media School attenders have got familiar with the television, newspaper and online media. They were trained by practicing journalists. Media School is functioning as part of the "Future Generation" program, implemented by organization PH International with support of the US Agency for International Development and the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. Society "Biliki" is its partner in ShidaKartli. Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has presented public opinion poll results on media. TI has commissioned the study to the Caucasian Research Resources Center (CRRC). The poll was carried out during the period of 28.04-6.05, 2015. The poll's average margin of error is 3.7%. "Compared to 2013, more respondents by 11% (67%) find the coverage of social problems is the major focus of journalists. Abrupt changes in the Lari exchange rates and the urgency of economic issues in parallel with these processes may be triggering the population's decision to give such a huge importance to coverage of social issues"... For the full text... Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The State Minister for Integration in the European and Euro-Atlantic Structures, Davit Bakradze has closed the summer seminar for journalists on the NATO. Seminar participants were awarded with certificates. Over two days experts invited to the seminar and media representatives have discussed the North-Atlantic Alliance policy. Further, journalists were informed about the cooperation mechanisms and integration process between NATO and Georgia. The seminar was organized by CSO "Integration-Way to NATO and the EU", with co-funding from the NATO's Public Diplomacy Department. For the full text... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. Media Development Fund (MDF) and the United Nations Association Georgia (UNAG) apply to the Public Broadcaster with recommendations. "The Public Broadcaster which legally is in charge to prepare programs in minority languages, as well as to inform citizens about European integration process has got particular responsibility for filling informational vacuum taking place due to not knowing the state language in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli regions populated by ethnic minorities”, said in the recommendations. Read more… Source: www.media.ge

Tbilisi. Georgian Young Lawyers Association responds to information broadcast by Kakheti Information Centre concerning "pressure facts upon media representatives”. Article dated June 23, 2015 "Due to publication of caricature a journalist is threatened with death in Georgia” says that "journalists are being threatened”. GYLA calls on the investigatory authorities to ensure the safety of journalists and stop any pressure. Read more… Source: www.gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Media Development Fund has presented a study on June 2. Media monitoring aimed to identify the sources of discrimination on various grounds and anti-western attitudes. The study covers the period from 17 February 2014 until 18 February 2015. For the full text... Source: media.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has submitted to the Board of Trustees its opinions on the Public Broadcaster's draft program priority document for 2015-2016. "The letter outlines major issues that should be of priority for the Public Broadcaster when disseminating information", the organization's web page states. For the full text... Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. As part of the "Tolerance School" of the Tolerance and Diversity Institute, representative of the Media Development Foundation, Tamar Kintsurashvili has delivered a public lecture – "Media and Tolerance Issues". The Institute offers a video recording of the lecture to its users.   Source: the Institute's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. Representative of the Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) has met with students on May 18 in the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University to discuss digital broadcasting. Meeting was held at the invitation of the TSU's Multimedia Center. The Institute's representative spoke about changes awaiting the audience after switching to digital broadcasting, and explained to students who would need to purchase additional equipment and how should they hook it up to TV. For the full text... Source: idfi.ge/ge

Kakheti. With support of the Eurasia Partnership Foundation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Radio "Hereti" has launched a new project. As part of the project, citizens will exercise effective monitoring of self-governments through radio blogs. Radio station will train 10 bloggers in Kakheti over 8 months. They will be trained in social media, gender and radio reporting issues. Bloggers will develop over 70 radio blogs on existing and ongoing events in their own municipalities, which will be aired by "Hereti" as a radio blog program and will be posted on web page and social networks.

Civil society organization "Freedom House" has released the Freedom of the Press 2014 Report. The report... Source: freedomhouse.org

Tbilisi. The Eurasia Partnership Foundation has filed a complaint against TV Companies "Rustavi 2" and "Trialeti" in the Georgian National Communications Commission. According to media.ge, the Commission has admitted the complaint into proceedings. The complaint alleges that the Foundation has provided TV companies with a social advertising video for broadcasting. "Rustavi 2" has requested the Foundation to correct an advertising, while TV Company "Trialeti" has left Eurasia Partnership Foundation's application unanswered", media.ge states. For the full text... Source: media.ge

Kakheti. Telavi Media cafe has hosted the exhibition of the first regional newspaper - "Voice of Kakheti", attended by representatives of CSOs, education institutions, local authorities, and interested persons. The event was organized at the initiative of CSO "Media Center Kakheti", with financial support from the Georgian "Community Development Center". According to the Director of CSO "Community Development Center", Ana Margvelashvili, the project aims to promote increased civil engagement of the region's youth and their active participation in cultural events.

Imereti. A two-day seminar on "Georgia's European integration and the importance of the Association Agreement for the country's development" has opened in Tskaltubo on April 23. Over two days, representatives of media outlets will be briefed on and discuss topics such as Georgia's foreign and security policy priorities, the Association Agreement and DCFTA, Georgia's agricultural prospects and challenges, agricultural cooperatives in Georgia and many more. The NATO and EU Information Center will implement a similar project in Eastern Georgia as well. For the full text... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. Frontline Georgia has hosted on April20 the presentation of the new web page of Charter of Journalistic Ethics - www.mediachecker.ge www.mediachecker.ge– is a web portal providing the results of analyses of journalistic works available in the TV, online and print media. A group of monitors is monitoring media outlets on a daily basis and produces articles, brief news and authored columns about identified breaches and gaps. The Charter of Journalistic Ethics is implementing the project with financial support of the German Agency for International Cooperation(GIZ) and in partnership with the Deutsche Welle Academy. Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. At the initiative of the "Independent Association of Georgian Journalists", a discussion was held on March 24 over labor rights of media employees. In addition, representatives of media, professional unions of the Public Broadcaster, Employers' Association and the Ministry of Labor and Health have signed a declaration on "Media's labor rights and development of an institutional dialogue". The "Independent Association of Georgian Journalists" is implementing together with International Federation of Journalists the EU project of a regional scale aimed at developing-enhancing the institute of solidarity with media and journalists in the South Caucasus. As part of the project, the Association plans to meet media representatives in the capital and other regions of Georgia, in order to probe into current situation within media. In addition, trainings and other events are planned. For the full text... Source: media.ge

Tbilisi. Offices of Internews-Georgia have hosted a discussion on March 30 on "Sensitive coverage of conflicts in Georgia". Representative of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting has presented a brief analysis on the current situation, and the participants have discussed problems and recommendations during the conflicts coverage. For the full text... Source: www.media.ge

Tbilisi. The Civil Development Institute has launched together with TV Company GDS a new TV project – "MediaStandard". Every Sunday, at 23:00, after the television series "Newsroom" is over, discussions will be held over journalistic activities and ethical issues. For the full text... Source: media.ge

Tbilisi. GYLA urges the Georgian National Communications Commission to be impartial in the Radio "Hereti" case. The publication is about the participants and winner of a competition announced in August 2013 in Tbilisi for acquiring a radio broadcasting license, resulting in a court dispute. By its publication, GYLA would like "... to draw the attention of the Prime Minister of Georgia and the general public to several key circumstances, which endanger the existence in the country of independent media outlets free from political influence, and raise doubts in respect of impartiality of the National Communications Commission, as an independent authority, in this dispute...". For the full text... Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. The Coalition "For Media Advocacy" and member organizations of Media Sub-Group of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum have released a statement. In which they have submitted comments on draft amendments to the Law on Broadcasting to the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development and the Chairman of the Georgian National Communications Commission: "Taking into consideration that it is necessary to amend the Law on Broadcasting in tight timeframes in relation to switchover to digital broadcasting, we find that amendments in the Law on Broadcasting should be made through expedited procedures to those articles only, which are inconsistent with digital broadcasting platform defined under the State Strategy. Substantial amendments to the law, which, among others, affects different regulatory rules in respect of various broadcasting platforms, must be made through relevant studies, involvement of interested parties and experts (including foreign ones), and public discussions". For the full text... Source: www.media.ge