Georgian Photojournalists Slam World Press Photo for Awarding Russian TASS Reporter for Tbilisi Protest Coverage
Georgian photojournalists and documentary photographers stated they are “disturbed” and “outraged” by World Press Photo’s decision to award Russian photographer Mikhail Tereshchenko, a reporter for the Kremlin-controlled TASS agency, for his photo story capturing protests in Tbilisi in late November and early December last year.
His photos, taken for the Russian propaganda TASS, document the first tense days of the current pro-EU and anti-regime resistance movement in Georgia, which erupted after the ruling Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the suspension of EU integration process on November 28, 2024. The ire of local reporters stemmed from the organization’s honoring of a journalist working for the pro-Russian propaganda mouthpiece TASS for covering pro-EU protests in Georgia.
Georgian photographers stated, “Awarding a photographer aligned with the Kremlin’s narrative for covering anti-Russian demonstrations is not only deeply contradictory but also a direct insult to those risking their lives to oppose Russian interference in Georgia’s sovereignty and future.”
They also note that the winning photographer has publicly supported Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, calling it an act of “liberation. “Elevating such a voice on a global platform, in a contest meant to uphold truth and integrity, is incomprehensible,” the Georgian photographers add.
They further note: “The protesters in the awarded series stand against the forces TASS consistently defends. To have their story narrated through an agency complicit in their oppression is not just contradictory – it is a betrayal of fundamental journalistic principles.”
By awarding the TASS photographer, World Press Photo is legitimizing the agency notorious for spreading disinformation, the photographers say, adding that the decision “undermines independent media and amplifies propaganda, and allows false narratives to gain broader acceptance.”
“To be absolutely clear, the story of Georgia’s resistance, suffering, and hope should never be conveyed through the lens of its colonizers’ propaganda news agencies – by those who seek to distort, manipulate, and silence it to serve oppression,” the statement concludes.
Also Read:
- 02/12/2024 – Photo Story | Winter is Coming: Georgian Protests Continue
- 30/11/2024 – Photo Story | November 30 Protests Over GD’s Foreign Policy U-Turn
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)