Part of Journalists Was Instructed to Rally during Press-Conference with Bidzina Ivanishvili

Mariam Khurtsidze

On November 1, experts made different evaluations about the press-conference with Bidzina Ivanishvili. However, mostly journalists and their incorrect behavior became target of critic. Humanrights.ge requested evaluation of the press-conference from several respondents.

“In fact, Bidzina Ivanishvili answered all questions that were asked by unfriendly journalists. He was ready for similar questions. I wish Georgian politicians, including the president, to take a good example from him and answer all our questions concerning all issues raised during the press-conference,” deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper Resonance Eliso Chapidze told the www.humanrights.ge of the Human Rights Center; she also attended the press-conference on November 1.

Eliso Chapidze thinks, the journalists who were shouting during the press-conference, first of all disrespected themselves and then their colleagues and finally Bidzina Ivanishvili: “It was clear for the rest of journalists, that our colleagues had come there to make provocations. I did not go there with my own question; on the previous day, during my Radio program I asked listeners to send their questions to me within one hour. I had selected the questions which were urgent for people but I was not able to ask those questions at the press-conference.”

Journalist and media-expert Ia Antadze thinks big part of population would have positive opinion about Bidzina Ivanishvili after the press-conference. “Ivanishvili managed to meet the objectives of the press-conference – he was cogent in his answers and the selected format was advantageous for him. They allowed everybody to get accreditation. They treated everybody honestly. On the other hand, the format aimed to create awkward situation for journalists. Journalists were fighting for the microphone and for question. It was unpleasant view for an outsider. If Bidzina Ivanishvili aimed or wished to give different and better press-conference, they could have changed the format.”

“To tell the truth, initially I was more critical about him; sometimes he was very aggressive and even lost temper. But during the press-conference Bidzina Ivanishvili give full answers to all questions. It is not so easy to be so patient. So, I appreciate his ability to feel what society expects from you,” said political scientist Ramaz Sakvarelidze and added “I am not going to blame journalists in everything. On the one hand, Georgian journalists do not have experience in similar press-conferences. On the other hand, the government controlled media outlets created chaos and it is not of their fault. They were compelled to get involved in political battle. There, they were not journalists at all. They were political opponents and as usually opponents often breach ethic norms.”

“The society saw a person, who did not lose temper despite the effort of Mikheil Saakashvili, Vano Merabishvili and three TV-Channels,” political secretary of the Republic Party Levan Berdzenishvili told the Interpressnews when commenting on the press-conference. “He did not ignore awkward, impolite and stupid questions. It was not strange for me that journalists did not care about the press-conference at all. I taught part of them at the university and I definitely know they can never think off a question,” Levan Berdzenishvili said.

Media-expert Zviad Koridze thinks the press-conference of November 1 gave a start to a very important process because it was first public speech of Bidzina Ivanishvili as a politician. “The society will make evaluations about him alongside his future activities. As for journalists, they did not act extraordinarily at all. Georgian journalists are in critical situation. When a journalist cannot follow simple rules and ask question, she/he is not professional at all. On the other hand, it was clear that their main message was to start rally there. They acted according to instructions.”