Tbilisi. Transparency International - Georgia released a blog-post - "Patriarchate’s radio station operating beyond the law". Organization periodically studies the ownership and activities of Georgian media outlets. "Georgia has more than 60 broadcasters that operate on the bases of licenses or/and authorization awarded by Georgian National Communication Commission, a main regulator of telecommunications sector in Georgia which grants the right to use radio frequency spectrum through a competition. According to the law the Commission also monitors whether a broadcaster violates license terms; it is entitled to modify, halt, update or abolish the licenses. ...The Patriarchy owns radio "Iveria”. According to the National Communication Commission "Iveria” broadcasts in Tbilisi and in couple of other cities and is not registered in the list of broadcasting license holders, which means that Patriarchy operates radio "Iveria” without the license. ...Even though the regulator has been aware of unlicensed broadcasting by Patriarchate’s radio "Iveria” for several years, the Commission has not reacted on the violation of the law", says the blog post. For the full text Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. This year "Open Society – Georgia" Foundation becomes 20 years old. The Foundation has decided to reflect 20-year activities in infographics. The first infographic was developed about media programs. For the full text. Source: www.osgf.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has reacted to resignation of 10 staff members of TV Company "Dia"."... Former employees of TV Company "Dia" have approached GYLA for assistance. Examination of contents of the contract offered by the TV Company to its employees has revealed that it contains labor conditions that in certain cases contradict the Labor Code and place employees in unequal conditions with the employer", says the information released by the organization.The organization calls on the TV Company's management "to be guided by requirements of the Labor Code and mandatory broadcasting principles corresponding public interests in labor relations with the TV Company's staff". For the full text. Source: gyla.ge

The European Center for Minority Issues - Caucasus (ECMI-Caucasus) has organized a training on September 23 for media representatives working in the regions. Topics of the event covered Georgia's road to Euro-integration, the importance of involving ethnic minorities in this process, and the issues of coverage.Training participants have discussed the EU and the Eastern Partnership, Association Agreement and the issues related to ethnic minorities included in the document; visa liberalization and how it relates to the European standards and mechanisms of protection of national minorities.Target groups of the training included journalists of media organizations working in the languages of ethnic minorities living in Georgia; journalists of media organizations working on the issues of ethnic minorities living in Georgia and the journalists of regional media working in the regions compactly settled by ethnic minorities.Training was organized as part of the project "Advancing National Integration in Georgia", implemented by the UN Association of Georgia (UNAG) with financial assistance of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and support of the "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation (OSGF).

Adjara. On September 19 the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) held Workshop about the Open Government Partnership (OGP) for journalists working in Batumi. The meeting, which was led by George Kldiashvili, the director and co-chairman of the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), was held in the Civic Engagement Center.The meeting participants were informed about the general partnership, the obligations already realized in the action plan and the new ones as well. For the full text… Source: ogpgeoblog.wordpress.com 

Adjara. One-day Media Conference 2014 was organized by the "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation and the Charter of Journalistic Ethics on September 20.Regional media representatives have discussed problems and challenges that regional broadcasters, press and online media face today. Second part of the conference was dedicated to switchover to digital broadcasting, current situation and the future prospects.In the final part the publications and training projects developed with support of the "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation were presented. Source: the organization's page in the social network.

Tbilisi. For promotion of tolerance culture inculcation Media Development Fund (MDF) organized a journalism prize for ethical reporting of diversity issues. The prize will be annually awarded to media resources, journalists and bloggers. On September 19 this year prize winners were named at the joint event of Media Development Fund and UN Association. For the full text… Source: media.ge      

Adjara. On September 21 the Council of the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics has completed examining the case – Medea Vasadze vs. Jaba Ananidze and Irma Zoidze. The case concerned the investigative film "With the Highest Comfort". According to the Council's decision, "the author and the producer have breached the Charter's first principle in several episodes, while they have not violated the third, fourth and eleventh principles". For the full text. Source: qartia.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Media Development Foundation(MDF) expresses concern over an incident that took place at around 01:00 on 7 September, in which "the police prohibited Nata Grdzelishvili, a journalist from Internet-based news agency media.ge, and a person accompanying her, to take photos of stop and search operation being conducted in the street and in this process, detained the latter person".  The MDF calls on the Interior Ministry of Georgia to timely investigate and adequately react to the committed offence. For the full text Source:mdfgeorgia.ge

Tbilisi. The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information has released Ana Seturi's letter: "New draft Law limits the broadcasters in disseminating the non-Georgian content". The publication examines amendments to be made to the Law "on Broadcasting". For the full text. Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. For the attention of CSOs, media outlets, faculties of journalism and interested persons: the Eurasia Partnership Foundation offers the following publications translated in Georgian language from the series of manuals for investigative reporters:1. Numbers in the Newsroom / Using Math and Statistics in News (Sarah Cohen, the Association of Investigative Reporters and Editors, 2011);2. Investigative Reporter's Manual / A Guide to Documents, Data Bases and Methods (Brent Huston, the Association of Investigative Reporters and Editors, 5th Edition, 2009).Those interested in getting the books should approach the Foundation with an application including references to the recipient organization, recipient person and the number of requested books.

Tbilisi. CSOs have released a joint statement in connection with one of the stories aired on the main news program of the Public Broadcaster's 1st Channel. "... Public Broadcaster is the television of all citizens of Georgia, irrespective of his/her identity. Therefore, it is impermissible that the Broadcaster becomes the source of encouraging discrimination...", says the statement. For the full text (geo)... Source: gdi.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International – Georgia has organized a discussion on August 6 dedicated to planned legislative amendments to social advertising regulations. Representatives of the National Communications Commission, CSOs and media have participated in the discussion. Arguments raised at the meeting included the vagueness of interpretation of social advertising, editorial independence, the role of the National Communications Commission and issues related to switchover to digital broadcasting. Draft amendments developed by the Ministry of Justice (geo). Opinions of Transparency International – Georgia on this issue (geo). Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics has released the decision adopted on July 27 concerning the violation of the Charter's 1st and 5th principles by journalist of TV Company "Rustavi 2" Giorgi Gabunia in the program "Choice" aired on 8 April 2014, says the web portal media.ge. CSO "Young Barristers" has filed the complaint on this issue with the Charter. For the full text (geo) Source: media.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has presented the study "Media Monitoring of Electoral Campaign - Practice Analysis" on July 31. The study reviews media monitoring carried out by the National Communications Commission and CSOs during the 2012 parliamentary, 2013 presidential and 2014 local self-government elections, as well as the media monitoring results obtained by the Central Election Commission prior to 2011. The study analyzes legislation regulating media monitoring of the election period and recommendations of international organizations. Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Three CSOs - CRRC Georgia, Internews - Georgia and the Civil Development Institute - have summarized media monitoring results of local elections on July 30 in the "Radisson BluIveria" Hotel. Boris Yaroshevich, Deputy Head of the EU Representative Office and Shombi Sharp, Deputy Head of the UN Development Program (UNDP) have opened the meeting. As part of media monitoring the organizations have observed the coverage of local self-government elections on up to 40 TV, radio, print and online media outlets. The reports cover the period from 15 April 2014 until June 30 and are available at web page: www.MediaMonitor.ge Monitoring was carried out with support of the EU and the UN Development Program. Source: media.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International - Georgia published a guidebook - "Use open data”. "TI Georgia decided to compile all useful online resources in a single guideline for media representatives. We would like to provide journalists and all interested citizens with the information on Georgian open data sources. This way we hope to encourage more frequent use of these resources to prepare interesting blogs, articles or research". For the full text Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Council of the Charter of Journalistic Ethics has reacted to the incident that occurred at the end of press conference after the "Bursa"-"Chikhura" UEFA League qualification match at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium on July 24."The Charter Council believes that whatever the background of such conflict, despite the emotional feelings a journalist should be able not to forget his professional duties and not to be involved in a conflict," says media.ge. For the full text. Source: media.ge

Tbilisi. The Council of the Charter of Journalistic Ethics of Georgia has completed deliberations on the judgment. The Council has examined the application of TarielPotskhveria's spouse Irina Asatiani against the "Rustavi 2" journalists PaataIakobashvili and Nona Mikiashvili, in respect of the story aired on 22 December 2013 in P.S. Currier "Hunger strike in prisons - is the criminal world coming back?".According to the Council's decision, out of 4 disputed principles, the story has violated 2 - the first and third principles of the Charter. Further, the Council has rejected the applicant's request in relation to the journalist of "Alia" ZhanaAsanidze, because in the story Zhana Asanidze was the respondent and it was not the product of her journalistic work. Source: qartia.org.ge

Tbilisi. "Transparency International Georgia” awarded three journalists for the best investigative articles on the State Procurement topic.The organization held the competition with financial support of Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The organization Batumi branch also announced a competition on the same subject. Three journalists of Adjara were awarded for the best journalistic works.  For the full text Source: transparency.ge     

Tbilisi. Public Organization "Citizen” issued a statement on July 21. "Citizen” is not going to respond to irresponsible statements and rhetoric of Ex-President and TV channel "Rustavi-2" made on "Rustavi 2” over the last few days”, said in the statement. For the full text Source: media.ge  

Tbilisi. Three non-governmental organizations publish the forth interim report on monitoring the 2014 local government elections. Monitoring was carried out within framework of the project "Professional Media Elections” financed by the European Union and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).The last reporting period covers June 15-30 and the entire study period – from April 15 to June 30, 2014. For the full text Source: www.media.ge