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New Rules Established by the President Restricts the Work of Journalists

February 23, 2005

New Rules Established by the President of Georgia Restrict the Work of Journalists

According to a  decision made by  Georgia’s  President Mikheil Saakashvili,  journalists accredited in the State Chancellery will now be prohibited from interviewing officials on the first floor of the Chancellery and will receive their information from the ministers’ press speakers. Journalists believe that this decision will greatly restrict their work and will reduce the public’s access to comprehensive information.


Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili’s decision to prohibit journalists accredited in the State Chancellery from working  on the first floor of the Chancellery comes as a shock to media representatives and to the public.


Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli stated in a recent press conference that the purpose of the President’s decision is to make the process of gathering information more civilized, and this decision will not restrict or prevent the free work of journalists. However, it seems that much will be censored if according to the new rules, journalists can only receive information from press speakers in a room designated for media representatives and cannot interview the officials themselves.


According to Thea Adeishvili, a journalist from the TV Company “Imedi”, the President’s decision is not restrictive on the work of journalists because the previous manner of receiving information in Georgia was unacceptable. However, it could be argued that in Georgia where information is very often blocked, these new rules will decrease the quality of information received and disseminated to the public.


Despite statements made by the President that information will remain available to the public and that journalists will continue to be appraised of the developments in the State Chancellery, this does not seem like it will be the case. Journalists working under the new rules which came into effect yesterday have already complained that their access to information has become far more restricted, and that the State Security Service has been controlling their movements within the State Chancellery building.


This situation is especially appalling in the context of the President’s past promises of defending freedom of speech and developing an independent media. This revolutionary leader’s path towards democracy is seriously endangered if the media, which disseminates important information and plays a mediatory role between the Government and the public, is restricted in such a way. 

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