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Georgia in New Report about the World Press Freedom

May 2, 2012

Tamar Paradashvili, media.ge

Georgia moved up by 7 positions in 2012 annual rating of Freedom of World Press by famous human rights organization Freedom House. The report was published on May 1. However, according to the report, Georgia still occupies place among partly-free states.

In the previous report revealing the press-freedom in the world in 2010 Georgia was on 118th place; this time it is on the 111th place.

One of the survey authors Christopher Walker spoke about Georgia’s progress with the Radio Freedom: “In the report period, several new media organizations were set up in Georgia; the Georgian National Communication Commission issued broadcasting licenses on several media groups who are not in relation with the government.” He said it was one of the indexes to prove that situation is progressing in Georgia unlike Baltic countries and all post-soviet countries.

However, Georgian media experts think situation has not significantly changed [for better] regardless Georgia’s move-up in the rating of authoritarian organization.

“Yes, we have adopted the law about transparency of media ownership and it is a step forward. Media was also active about famous case of photo-reporters but the situation about media has not essentially changed [in the country]. Public information is still unavailable. Besides that, regional population does not have access to alternative sources of information, for example, TV-Company Maestro does not cover the regions of Georgia. In parallel to it, government-controlled national channels actively broadcast in the regions,” journalist Ia Antadze told media.ge.

She said providing population with alternative and diverse information is directly connected with the election results which are scheduled by fall in Georgia.

Zviad Koridze, chairman of the Journalistic Ethic Charter, said Georgia’s placement among partly-free countries means media environment is not pluralist in the country.

“The survey authors focused on positive and negative facts: May 26, when journalists were not allowed to perform their professional activities; a case of photo-reporters; tax raid in Media Palitra. Adoption of the law about companies registered in off-shore zones was positively evaluated; besides that the decision of the GNCC to issue broadcasting licenses on media organization, that had not happened for the last 6 years, was also positive fact. However, it is another issue how those new media-organizations will manage to change and make the media environment more transparent in the country. Being among partly-free states, Georgia lacks pluralist media environment and it is the main point of this survey. We should not be much proud of by moving up from 118 to 111 positions,” Koridze said.

Freedom House assessed 197 states and territories worldwide. Out of them, 66 (33.5 percent) were rated Free, 72 (36.5 percent) were rated Partly Free, and 59 (30 percent) were rated Not Free.

The Report states that throughout 2011 freedom of press was significantly restricted in Central and Eastern Europe. Those changes deal with Hungary, Macedonia and Ukraine. The only significant numerical improvement in the region occurred in Partly Free Georgia, Kosovo and Montenegro.

Freedom House observed several trends of the previous year – authoritarian powers of the world increased censorship on the printed media to avoid internal conflict. Governments of China, as well as African and middle Asian states hired specialists to filter the internet from unpleasant information.

Government-controlled broadcasting media, regardless the increased number of cable and satellite broadcasters, still remains the main tool of control for critical information. Broadcasting media is controlled in Russia, Venezuela, China and Vietnam.

Free media faces challenges in many democratic countries – India, Israeli, Italy and South Africa. Assaults on journalists in 2011 pushed Chile from free state towards partly-free country. Hungary received the partly-free status because of the government’s attempt to control legislative and regulatory bodies of media.

Simultaneously, analytics of the Freedom House indicate to the progress in Middle Asia and North African states first for the last eight years. They think, it is connected with the Arab Spring.

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