JOURNALISM BETWEEN POLITICS, PROPAGANDA AND PRISON IN MY COUNTRY GEORGIA

Salome Achba from Georgia, 25, is the editor-in-chief of the media portal Mediachecker.ge and a researcher at the Georgian Charter of Journalists Ethics.

The role of the media in the public agenda setting process is significant and sometimes controversial. (…) The opinion that media sets the public agenda is widespread, but the question is: who is the author of media’s agenda itself, media representatives, or other interested groups? Who creates it?
Interested groups, especially politicians, of course feel the significant role of the media in public opinion formatting process. That way they are always trying to influence the media agenda, since it is the best way to influence the public opinion. Everywhere, especially in countries like Georgia, where the media still has several problems regarding professional standards and freedom of speech, it is always tempting to use journalism for disseminating propaganda. 
One of the most remarkable examples of media propaganda in my country is the case of “Fake Qronika” On IMedi TV. “Qronika” is the news program of one of the private TV Broadcaster in Georgia. They aired Fake news In March, 2010, about 2008 war in South Ossetia. “Russian troops are in the capital” – that’s how the anchor started the program. “Pro-Russian opposition politicians, led by Nino Burdzhanadze and Zurab Nogaideli travelled to Tskhinval and accused Saakashvili of the killing of Kokoity. After the assassination, Russian army troops were mobilized and put on high alert. Georgian army troops were mobilized, and took defensive positions around Tbilisi with heavy artillery”, reported the broadcaster. According to the news package, Capital of Georgia, Tbilisi was occupied by Russian tanks and President Saakashvili was killed. Then the broadcast showed montage videos from the archives. The following day the telephone recordings were spread on social networks. In these recordings President SaakaShvili, General Director of TV IMedi, executive producer of news program “kronika” and other state officials were planning this news program, before it was shown on TV. 
In 2011 Three Georgian Photo Journalists, working for international media, were arrested and found guilty for spying for Russia. Before the arrestment the photographers had taken photos of the breaking up of the demonstration on 26th of May, in 2011. 
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I work as a media researcher for Georgian Charter of Journalistic ethics and we conduct researches and media monitoring on propaganda in Media. Nowadays, some political groups are still trying to set their political agenda in the media. Several researches and monitoring proved that Anti-Western propaganda in Georgian Media is still the great problem. Unfortunately several Georgian outlets use Russian Propaganda in their media products.