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Strengthening the Media’s Role as a Watchdog Institution in Georgia

A free and independent media is a necessary pre-condition for the development of a stable democracy. In Georgia, reforms toward media pluralism have yet to result in the institutionalization of a free, independent media or open public debate. Currently, there are no investigative programs on television and little investigative reporting in print media. The current information vacuum in Georgia contributes to an uninformed or ill-informed citizenry.

With funding from the European Union, EPF began the Strengthening the Media’s Role as a Watchdog Institution in Georgia project, focused on increasing public access to high quality, professional, independent information.

Main activities of the project are the following:
• Perform a media landscape study through surveys, focus groups and in-depth interviewing.
• Link the Georgian Association of Regional Broadcasters (GARB) with a media association in a new EU member state and undertake activities aimed at institutional development of the GARB.
• Conduct trainings for media and legal professionals on the specifics of investigative journalism, media legislation, access to information.
• Establish the Georgian Media Legal Defence Centre (GMLDC) to provide free legal aid for journalists, media outlets, and lawyers and to advocate for legislative changes.
• Hold TV and public discussions involving all stakeholders to encourage broad, inclusive dialogue on the state of the media in Georgia.
• Conduct targeted grant competitions on investigative journalism.

Results:

EPF’s Caucasus Research Resource Center has undertaken a study of the Georgian media landscape consisting of a survey of public attitudes to the media in Georgia, a series of focus groups with media consumers, in-depth interviews with media professionals, and media monitoring of Georgian TV news. The results of the study were presented at the “European Union-Georgia” Civil Society Human Rights Seminar on Media Freedom and Internally Displaced Persons organized by the European Commission Delegation to Georgia in November, 2009. The report provided a comprehensive picture of the current situation in the Georgian media and served as the basis for a vibrant discussion at the seminar.

This project is funded
by the European Union

 

 

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