IREX Launches Programs in Georgia to Strengthen Independent Media

Georgian media has experienced some turmoil in recent years.  In March, a Georgian television station’s fake broadcast of a Russian invasion into their country outraged many viewers who saw that as an irresponsible stunt. With many Georgians still distrustful of the media, IREX and the G-MEDIA staff plan to work with media outlets, journalism schools, media lawyers, parliamentarians and others to strengthen the independent media sector and, consequently, stimulate citizen demand for better quality news and information.

Two recently launched programs in Georgia will allow IREX -- with financial support from USAID and the US Embassy in Tbilisi -- to help Georgian media professionals tackle some of the biggest challenges facing their media sector. The new USAID-funded Georgian Media Enhance Democracy, Informed citizenry and Accountability (G-MEDIA) and the US Embassy-funded Georgian Media Partnership Program (GMPP) aim to address issues in professionalism, financial sustainability, media laws, journalism educationm, and technological changes in the Georgian media sector.

The four-year G-MEDIA program is led by Chief of Party Joe Raffelberg, who said G-MEDIA aims to “build a constituency for independent, pluralistic and higher quality media in Georgia.” IREX has partnered with numerous organizations, including the Georgian Young Lawyers Association and Transparency International-Georgia to meet those goals.

“G-MEDIA will offer innovative and competitive consultancy to printers, broadcasters and online/mobile content providers on using advertising experts to aggressively sell advertising space next to indispensable content to media buyers,” Raffelberg said. “This aims to be more local including coverage of core issues like health, economy, energy and environment that will help citizens participate in media and market opportunities.”

The Georgia Media Partnership Program (GMPP) is a smaller scale program with similar goals. The two-year program aims to build strong, collegial and lasting relationships between Georgian regional television broadcasters and their peers in the United States. Modeled after IREX’s successful and long-running Ukraine Media Partnership Program, GMPP will pair four Georgian TV stations with four TV stations in the US. Some topics that will be emphasized in the exchanges include Georgia’s upcoming transition to digital transmission, as well as techniques in professional journalism and business management.

Elene Aladashvili, GMPP’s senior program officer and local partnership coordinator, said the Georgian partners will also have the opportunity to spread their new knowledge and expertise with colleagues at other regional stations via peer-to-peer exchanges.

“The project will greatly contribute to the development of independent broadcasters and people in the regions of Georgia will benefit from improved and more professional TV channels, local news and programming,” Aladashvili said.