Young Lawyers Demand Explanation for the Resignation of Deputy Director General of 1st Channel of Georgia

Georgian Young Lawyers Association responded to the article “Failed Dialogue”, published in December 2008 issue of the magazine “Tskheli Chokoladi”.

The statement of the association reads that topic of the article was “intolerant opinions” of Gia Chanturia, deputy director general of Georgian Public Broadcasting. More precisely, according to the statement of the GYLA, the high-ranking official used such terms in his speech that is prohibited by the Ethic Code on Public Broadcaster. He insulted disabled people, sexual minorities, old people and etc.

Ethic Code on Public Broadcasting states that in order to avoid insulting lexica in everyday speech, journalists are obliged to respect the audience and do not use those words or phrases that might insult the audience. Those words and phrases might be cursing, racist expressions, or degrading terms for disable people, etc.”

“The words like “gay”, “pederast” etc. must not be used,” reads the statement of the GYLA.

The representatives of the organization considers that opinions of Gia Chanturia opposes the goal of the Public Broadcasting; more precisely, to prevent discrimination on religious, ethnic, racist, gender and sexual grounds.

The Association hopes that 1st Channel will make public statement to explain how the statements of its representative complied with the professional standards and ethic principles of Public Broadcasting.

Source: Medianews