Public Broadcaster Dismisses Criticism, Accuses Critics of False Accusations
On March 24, Georgian Public Broadcaster management issued a statement dismissing allegations made by employees who have criticized the station’s editorial policy. The broadcaster claimed that its employees’ critical public statements, which have included accusations of bias and a lack of editorial independence, contained false information and damaged the organization’s reputation.
In its statement, GPB management claimed that a “discrediting campaign” has been waged against the broadcaster over the past four months. They accused the protesting employees, of violating their employment contracts and internal regulations by making public statements that spread “false accusations” and “tarnish the broadcaster’s image.”
The statement said: “At the working meeting, the Board of Trustees reviewed the results of the investigation conducted by the Legal Service, which did not establish the facts and grounds for the allegations made against the Public Broadcaster, and the assessments expressed by the members of the Board of Trustees are of a recommendatory nature.”
The statement refers to the the GPB’s board of trustees meeting on March 21, where the board discussed the criticism from employees Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, Nino Zautashvili, Kakha Melikidze, and Gia Imnaishvili, and largely dismissed their concerns. The concerns of the critical journalists had to do with GPB’s coverage of key events, particularly the attack on Zviad Koridze, a member of Transparency International Georgia and a journalist, and the assault on a GPB cameraman during pro-EU rallies. They have also raised issues with the broadcaster’s handling of protests’s coverage and what they said was lack of editorial independence. The journalists also slammed the management for the channel’s insufficient coverage of the imprisoned director of Batumelebi/Netgazeti publication, Mzia Amaghlobeli. In February Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani was suspended from presenting the 18:00 news program “Moambe” on the Public Broadcaster’s, which he linked to his criticism of the channel’s editorial policy.
Moreover, on March 22, eight members of the GPB board of trustees called for the prosecutor’s office to investigate what they termed “groundless accusations” by the critical employees. This move came a day after the board discussed the issue, further fueling tensions within the organization.
The Media Advocacy Coalition, a media watchdog, condemned the board’s actions, calling the decision to involve the prosecutor’s office “alarming” and a direct threat to media freedom. The coalition accused the GPB leadership of trying to silence independent reporting and suppress criticism.
The developments come amid weeks of the ongoing protests by the GPB building. Public dissatisfaction with the broadcaster has been growing since last year’s pro-European rallies, during which citizens criticized GPB for failing to cover police crackdowns on demonstrators. In December 2024, protesters demanded access to live broadcasts to counter what they perceived as state-controlled narratives, further deepening mistrust in the institution.
Also Read:
- 05/02/2025 – Public Broadcaster Takes Critical News Anchor Off Air
- 30/01/2025 – GPB Management Under Fire at Board Meeting Amid Ongoing Protests
- 18/12/2024 – President’s Administration: GPB Does Not Provide Complete and Objective Information on President
- 03/12/2024 – GPB Employees Distance Themselves from GD Decision, Say Channel is Biased
- 22/12/2023 – Media Coalition Slams Public Broadcaster for Failing to Uphold Independence
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)