Tomorrow, on September 14, at 12:00 pm Human Rights Center will present the findings of the two last periodic reports on the Media Monitoring at the Hotel Tbilisi Marriot.

Besides journalists, we kindly invite interested organizations and all six TV-Companies, who are targets of our media monitoring to the presentation.

Media Monitoring of Parliamentary Elections is implemented by financial support of International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) under the framework of four-year project Increased Trust in Electoral Process (ITEP) financed by USAID (US Agency for International Development). In the frame of the Project, HRC monitors monitor hidden political, social and political advertisements aired by following TV-Companies: Public Broadcaster, Imedi, Rustavi 2, Kavkasia, Maestro and Ninth Channel.

The purpose of the media-monitoring is to study trends of coverage of social and political advertisements during pre-election period, to expose hidden political advertisement and work out recommendations for the improvement of election environment.

This time, Human Rights Center publishes last periodic reports which present findings of the media-monitoring of the Parliamentary Elections in the period of July 30-August 26.

Unlike previous periods, number of advertisements presenting the achievements or services provided by governmental institutions was reduced in the broadcasting time of the Georgian Public Broadcasting Company. It is noteworthy that advertisements containing signs of hidden political advertising, which were aired with the social status by the GPB – like “Made in Georgia” and “Free Internet from the Tbilisi City Hall” - were not observed in this report period.

In accordance to periodic reports of media monitoring, in the period between July 30 and August 26 all qualified election subjects had placed their free and paid political advertisements in TV-companies. We also observed paid political advertisements of unqualified election subjects in TV-companies. All in all, United National Movement placed more political advertisements in TV-Companies. Coalition Georgian Dream is most frequently mentioned election subject though tone of its coverage is negative. Georgian President is also covered in negative tone.