Watchdog: Georgian Dream Channels Millions to Loyal Online Media Through Party and State Funds
The International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), a prominent local election watchdog and non-governmental organization, said 22 online media outlets linked to the ruling Georgian Dream party have received nearly GEL 6 million (about USD 2.2 million) over six years from the party and the state budget through simplified procurements.
According to ISFED, which examined the media companies’ financial documents, Georgian Dream–affiliated online outlets received a total of GEL 1,503,708 (about USD 554,000) from the ruling party through direct and regular monthly payments, and almost GEL 4.3 million (about USD 1.6 million) through simplified procurements between 2019 and 2025.
“Amid restrictions on independent online media, the consistent funding scheme for loyal media outlets shows that Georgian Dream’s goal is to replace independent online media with party-controlled news agencies,” ISFED said in an October 21 report.
According to ISFED, Georgian Dream has made monthly transfers to these outlets over the past two years, “indicating that a long-term and stable cooperation has been established between the party and these agencies.” The report names Prime Time as the largest beneficiary of Georgian Dream’s direct funding.
As for the simplified procurements, the organization said the main sources were local self-governing bodies (46%) and the state budget (33%), while 4% came from the governments of the Adjara and Abkhazia autonomous republics, and 17% from other public agencies. ISFED said the NewsHub agency won 32 tenders over the years, totaling GEL 2,617,744 (about USD 964,000), most of which concerned information support services, with the Central Election Commission identified as the largest purchaser.
“The editorial policies of the funded media outlets align with the ruling party’s narratives,” ISFED said. “They amplify Georgian Dream’s messages, produce or disseminate propagandistic content, and, in some cases, take part in coordinated campaigns against the opposition.” ISFED again highlighted the NewsHub agency, noting that it has placed more than 1,700 political ads on Facebook in five years, totaling about USD 25,400.
The funding model creates a “double dependency,” ISFED said. “On the one hand, the media outlets are directly dependent on the ruling party’s financial support, and on the other, on procurements from public agencies.” The watchdog noted that funding spikes during election campaigns, “indicating that these resources are directly used to strengthen political communication, public relations, and propaganda.”
“The model established by Georgian Dream represents a policy of strategic replacement, aimed at gradually pushing out independent online media and substituting it with pro-government outlets aligned with party narratives,” ISFED warns. “This significantly harms media pluralism and the prospects for democratic development in the country.”
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