Two Media Organizations Set Up
Two media organizations ? Media Council and Press Council ? were set up on July 25. The first one makes focus more on self-regulation and monitoring of professional standards and ethics in reporting, while second one will be focused on protection of journalists from government?s pressure.
The Media Council was founded by up to 20, both nation-wide and regional, media sources, as well as by three non-governmental organizations: Georgian Young Lawyers? Association, Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development and Liberty Institute. The Media Council is sponsored by the Open Society – Georgia Foundation.
The founders of the Media Council include: Imedi TV, Rustavi 2 TV, Mze TV, Public Broadcasting, 202 TV; newspapers: the 24 Saati (24 Hours) and the English-language Messenger.
The Media Council members signed a communiqu?, which says that the founders commit ?to protect professional standards of media; to react on violation of professional standards? to promote independence of editorial policy; to protect media?s interests in relationship with the authorities.?
But some journalist are skeptical about the Media Council and fear that it might become the government?s vehicle for media censorship ? allegations which are strongly denied by the Media Council?s founders.
As a result, four newspapers ? the Rezonansi (Resonance), the Khvalindeli Dge (Tomorrow), the Akhali Versia (New Version) and the Alia ? organized under the Press Council. The founders of this organization say that Council will only focus on protection of media sources from the authorities? pressure.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
