Georgia Tier 94 Country According to Freedom of Press

Georgia Tier 94 Country According to Freedom of Press

Tbilisi.09.01.05.Media News. The situation in respect with the freedom of media is better in Georgia than in all post-soviet countries but it is also a fact that independent television channels and newspapers do not exist in Georgia– considers Mamuka Areshidze, an expert. 

“After the summer 2004 mass-media, namely, televisions have been freed from the governmental pressure, but they still try to be accountable to the government. Because of this almost no critical topic is covered on TV” – states Areshidze.

He thinks that almost every newspaper in Georgia has given up its own position and their accountability to the government is clearly visible. There are often materials in one and the same newspaper in which certain representative of the government is scolded without considering any norms of ethic and other representatives are praised without having deserved this. This indicates that the number of ordered and controlled materials has increased in press.

“This is natural as otherwise the television companies and newspapers will have the same problems with taxation services as TV Company “Kavkasia” and “Georgian Times” had. None of the TV companies and newspapers have everything in order regarding taxes” – said Mamuka Areshidze.

In Areshidze’s opinion some journalists, especially in televisions, still manage to prepare some critical materials and express impartial position but this happens for the price of confrontation with the owners of the TV company. “It is due to the authority of the journalists that the owners are afraid of dismissing them and are obliged to agree to their position” – says Areshidze.

For information: According to the report of the international organization “Reporters Sans Frontiers” out of 167 countries in the world Georgia is tier 94 country in respect with the freedom of press, Armenia is 83, Russia - 140, Azerbaijan - 136, Belarus – 144, and the last one from post-soviet countries is Turkmenistan which is 164.