1

M-TAG Quarterly Report USAID Cooperative Agreement Number AID-114-A-14-00004

April 1, 2019 – June 30, 2019

Submitted: July 29, 2019 Program Objectives The Media for Transparent and Accountable Governance (M-TAG) program aims to improve the public’s access to independent, reliable, and balanced information relevant to Georgia’s good governance. IREX implements the program with local partner organizations Ethics Charter and management consulting group Innova. This goal will be achieved by a set of coordinated activities in support of three objectives: Program Objective 1: Journalists demonstrate accurate and ethical reporting on public interest issues, including progress towards key government reforms; Program Objective 2: Regional media outlets demonstrate improved financial viability and transparency; and Program Objective 3: Access to balanced and relevant information increased in the occupied territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Introduction Since Georgian Dream came to power in 2012, journalists in Georgia were rarely assaulted physically; other forms of pressure were more common. However, the situation changed during the reporting period. Riot police cracking down on civic activists and political opposition in front of parliament from June 20 to 21 left 39 journalists badly injured. The protesters gathered to condemn presence of a Russian delegation at a session of the Inter-parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy in the parliament’s chamber, and its president, a Russian MP, taking the seat of the Chair of Parliament of Georgia. To disperse the protesters, the police used tear gas and rubber bullets. The next day, the Ethics Charter gathered and published information about injured journalists and organized colleagues to protest the violence in front

2

of the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor General’s office to demand prompt investigation. For information about the injured journalists please follow this link: https://www.qartia.ge/ka/siakhleebi/article/73244. Many questions about excessive use of force by the riot police and purposeful targeting of journalists remain unanswered. While the prosecutor’s office has interviewed the injured journalists, there is no discernable progress with the investigation. Earlier, journalists of M-TAG’s media partners, qartli.ge and Radio Way, who were fulfilling their professional duties sustained injuries at the hands of police. Patrol police physically assaulted Saba Tsitsikashvili, editor of qartli.ge, to prevent him from filming a police car crash on a highway near Gori on June 10. Tsitsikashvili filed a complaint requesting that the policemen be prosecuted for interfering in journalist’s work. Additionally, on April 21, Gela Mtivlishvili and Islam Gorgishvili were injured by rubber bullets when they were reporting for Radio Way about a clash between riot police and population of Pankisi gorge, which protested construction of hydro power plans. Bowing to the increasing pressure from the civil society, the Speaker of Parliament resigned, and the government agreed to conduct parliamentary elections in 2020 according to the proportional system. People still gather in front of Parliament every evening to demand resignation of the Minister of Interior, whom many hold responsible for the bloodshed. Georgia’s economic dependence on Russia for tourism and wine export damaged Georgian economy once again: Georgia’s national currency further devalued following the announcement of sanctions imposed by Russia on Georgia after the June 20-21 events. Tension began building in anticipation of the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on Rustavi2 on July 18, which continued to provide extensive coverage of the protests in front of parliament and remained a primary platform for the critical voices. Summary In the reporting quarter, M-TAG’s 11 media partners (Samkhretis Karibche, Channel 9, TV Borjomi, Radio Marneuli, ICN’s Tbilisi and Gurjaani offices, Radio Way, Batumelebi, Radio NOR, livepress.ge, Radio Atinati, and qartli.ge) received on-site training and consulting in content production and technical skills from M-TAG staff members and free-lance trainers. IREX staff members traveled to Zugdidi and Marneuli in May to support media partners located there with reporting on mayoral elections. Dachi Grdzelishvili worked with Radio Atinati, Tamar Rukhadze worked with livepress.ge, and Rusudan Tskhomelidze worked with Radio Marneuli. All three media outlets provided comprehensive coverage of elections to their audiences, in the form of live updates, adding information to the live blog as it was coming in and using posters and infographics to visualize incoming data. Tamar Rukhadze supported Samkhretis Karibche’s new editor-in-chief on-site and remotely, coaching her and helping with different editorial tasks.

3

IREX delivered equipment it procured in the U.S. and Tbilisi to eight of its media partners – ICN’s Tbilisi and Gurjaani offices, Radio Way, SK News, Borjomi TV, Channel 9, Radio NOR, JNews, and Radio Marneuli. IREX staff assisted with installation and trained the teams in equipment use and maintenance. The new equipment led to a significant increase in motivation among the teams at the media partners. They were eager to apply their new tools and skills to produce content in the frame of their IREX subgrants. Radio NOR, Radio Marneuli, JNews, and Radio Way completed implementation of the subgrants they received from IREX. The purpose of these subgrants was to report on the problems ethnic minority populations faced on their way to further integration. JNews prepared 20 multimedia stories in Russian, Radio NOR prepared 20 radio programs and 20 multimedia stories in Russian, Radio Marneuli prepared 20 radio programs and 20 multimedia stories both in Azerbaijani and Georgian, and Radio Way prepared 12 radio programs and 12 multimedia stories in Georgian. The subgrants allowed the four media outlets, run by minority teams, to explore issues and problems in depth, bring them to the attention of relevant authorities, and press for solutions. TV Borjomi and Channel 9 continued implementation of the subgrants they received from IREX to produce more content tailored for web publishing. Kutaisi Post, SK News, and Batumelebi continued implementation of the subgrants they received from IREX to report on the diverse communities living in their coverage areas. These stories helped the media outlets significantly diversify the theme of their content and reach out to new audiences. Channel 9 translated all the content produced under the IREX subgrant into Armenian, creating a new audience among the Armenian-speaking population of Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Channel 9 produced 120 pieces of content in Georgian and Armenian, while TV Borjomi produced 80 pieces of content. Kutaisi Post published 11 feature stories in multimedia format, SK News published 11 feature stories and 11 Facebook videos, Batumelebi published 17 feature stories in multimedia format and 17 Facebook videos. Livepress.ge, qartli.ge, and Radio Atinati completed implementation of subgrants they received from IREX in Y4. As of June 30, Radio Atinati produced 156 radio programs and published 18 photo reports from Abkhazia. In addition to 24 talk-shows, livepress.ge produced 557 media products, translating 245 of them in Russian and 175 of them in Abkhaz. In addition to 24 talk-shows, qartli.ge produced 563 media products, translating 227 of them in Russian and 237 of them in Ossetian. The populations living on both sides of the administrative boundary line received news and information provided by qartli.ge, livepress.ge, and Radio Atinati with interest, which was demonstrated by high engagement through social networks. The number of visitors from the breakaway regions to their websites, which come through IPs addresses of Russian internet providers, increased by almost 25%. While the media outlets have progressed with the implementation of IREX subgrants at different paces, all of them worked hard to ensure quality and were highly receptive to guidance from IREX mentors and trainers.

4

Many of M-TAG’s partners started to produce content tailored for consumption on social media, which led to a significant increase in their online audiences. Media partners were enabled to improve content quality and grow their audiences through mentoring, new equipment, new skills, and financial means. This allowed M-TAG’s partners to spend more time on material and travel outside regional centers in search of interesting stories and respondents. Collectively, 14 media partners have increased the number of unique visitors to their web pages by almost 14%. Qartli.ge, livepress.ge, Kutaisi Post, and Radio Marneuli continued to receive assistance in sales with an Innova consultant acting as a sales director for their agents. Innova consultants also developed policies and procedures for RMSI partners, tailored to their needs and assisted some of them with the introduction of a double-entry accounting system. Kutaisi Post, qartli.ge, livepress.ge, Channel 9, and TV Borjomi received sample policies on bookkeeping and referencing, petty cash, travel logistics and accommodation, and procurement, for them to adapt and use. Rusudan Tskhomelidze and Tamar Rukhadze created a guideline for M-TAG partners on how to prepare Vox-pops to bring forward opinions and attitudes of locals and how to use them in the programs. In the reporting period, the Ethics Charter examined 19 cases. In April, the Charter trained 16 journalists on how to report on domestic violence, and in June they trained 15 journalists on how to report on suicide. The Charter also made three short videos to supplement its guidelines on how to report on crime, violence against women, and on the Charter’s standard for correction. From April through June 2019, MEC served 238 individual students from four different Georgian universities, 143 of them female. Some of these students have enrolled in more than one class at the MEC, bringing the number of course participants up to 279. Grant support from IREX enabled M-TAG’s media partners to work on complex issues and problems, which they would not have been able to tackle otherwise. JNews looked into reasons why the population in Javakheti is learning the state language at such a slow rate. They also looked at what needs to be done to increase the region’s potential for tourism in order to help with integration. JNews also analyzed gaps in the health care system, which negatively impact the well-being of the population in Javakheti. Many of the stories prepared by M-TAG’s partners have resulted in improvements, with specific problems solved, for example: A story by JNews about the National Park of Javakheti and problems of the population who live nearby caught the attention of the Georgian State Agency on Protected Territories, which provided JNews with detailed information about projects it implemented in Javakheti. For the story, please follow this link: http://jnews.ge/?p=24224; for the response, please follow this link: http://jnews.ge/?p=25490 for the response. After JNews published material about the export potential of dairy products, it received many requests for advice from the population. For the material please follow this link

5

http://jnews.ge/?p=28229. After JNews reported on people with special needs, the local elections commission employed one of the protagonists and another protagonist received support from local authorities and from abroad. Please follow this link: http://jnews.ge/?p=24100. After Radio NOR reported about cultural heritage sites which were not attended to, a lot of tourists reached out to the station for information on them and directions. Also, one of the sites, a fortress from the Bronze Age, was recognized as a cultural heritage site of Georgia. For the material please follow this link: http://nor.ge/?p=100214. After Radio NOR prepared material about whether products farmed in Ninotsminda comply the BIO sign requirements, it received many calls from listeners who asked for guidance on which steps to undertake to make their products compatible with for EU market. For the material please follow this link: http://nor.ge/?p=108507. After Radio NOR pointed out the need to rehabilitate roads before asking the population to undergo technical checks on cars, rehabilitation work started. Please follow this link for the material: http://nor.ge/?p=115162. There are many stray dogs in Marneuli and Radio Marneuli reported about this problem many times. Marneuli municipality announced a tender to select a company to vaccinate the dogs. Radio Marneuli brought together independent experts and representatives of local government on its program to discuss the issue. The radio station concluded that money was not enough to get the job done properly. After that the municipality re-announced the tender, with an increased amount, and Kvemo Kartli regional administration decided to build a shelter for such dogs. For the story please follow this link: https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/17084. Many villages in Marneuli suffer from a lack of access to drinking water and water for irrigation. Radio Marneuli reported about 30 villages which never had water. This program had the highest number of views, both in Georgian and in Azerbaijani. After seeing the program, people from other villages contacted Radio Marneuli with requests to report that they too are experiencing similar hardship with water. Four days after Marneuli reported about the village of Lezhbadin, the local government provided it with a pump which the village had previously waited one year for. For the story please follow this link: https://marneulifm.ge/ka/siakhleebi/article/19078-sofeli-marneulshi-sadac-tsyali-saukuneze-metia-ar-aqvth. After livepress.ge reported that plants in public squares and gardens in Zugdidi had withered due to neglect, the mayor’s office started to irrigate them and replaced damaged plants with the new ones. For the material please follow this link: https://www.livepress.ge/ka/video/article/29309-gamkhmari-mcenareebi-zgugdidis-skverebsa-da-baghebshi-video-.html.

On July 14, Channel 9 reported that one of the streets of Akhaltsikhe was left without working street lights for three months: https://tv9news.ge/ka/akhali-ambebi/sazogadoeba/article/13589 The company in charge of the city’s lighting system maintenance replaced the burned out lamps the next day. For the material please follow this link: https://tv9news.ge/ka/akhali-ambebi/sazogadoeba/article/13602 Cooperation with other Donors In the reporting quarter M-TAG did not work with other donors.

6

Communications

During this quarter, the number of likes of M-TAG’s Facebook page increased from 1,500 to 1,535.

II. Start-up Activities Data Collection During this reporting period, M-TAG’s M&E specialist focused on tasks from the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) and Y5 workplan, which included data collection from 14 Regional Media Strategic Initiative (RMSI) partners. The M&E specialist worked with team members to refine the Media Content Analysis Tool (MCAT) methodology to ensure more accurate measurement. The coders were given more detailed instructions, which included guidance on the minimum length for an article to be monitored, which kind of article criteria of localization should be applied; by which criteria should they assess multimedia videos; and how to treat live streamed videos. The M&E specialist selected coding materials produced by 14 RMSI partners and sent them to the coders. The report based on these materials will be presented along with the Y5 annual report. Data was also collected on M-TAG trainings and recorded in the project’s internal database. The database contains information including the number of training opportunities, unique participants, locations, gender, and age of training participants. The M&E specialist worked with an Innova representative on the Media Partner Assessment Tool (MPAT). The MPAT report will be presented along with the Y5 annual report. During the reporting period, the M&E specialist prepared a Geographic Information System (GIS) report based on the training database. The GIS report covers information on the trainings implemented, participants trained, and location of trainings. The M&E specialist regularly provided detailed monitoring information to M-TAG team members on individual partners for management purposes.

Program Beneficiary Selection

Nothing to report this quarter.

III. Project Activities

7

1. Objective 1: Journalists Demonstrate accurate and Ethical Reporting on Public Interest Issues, Including Progress Towards Key Government Reforms

1.1 Journalists Provide Accurate and In-depth Reporting on Reform Agenda

1.1.1 Certifying local trainers During this reporting period, IREX worked with three freelance trainers: Shota Gogishvili (technical skills, multimedia production), Lasha Nasaridze (video and data engineer), and Zviad Koridze (journalism trainer, mentoring qartli.ge).

1.1.2 Production and editorial skills In the reporting quarter, all M-TAG partners received remote technical assistance in production and editorial skills. M-TAG staff (Dachi Grdzelishvili, Tamar Rukhadze, and Rusudan Tskhomelidze) monitored partner content and provided feedback; helped with planning, writing, video editing, editorial management, and web maintenance; and other issues. Some partners benefited from on-site training and consulting, and all of them were invited to participate in group events. Dachi Grdzelishvili regularly advised IREX freelance trainer Shota Gogishvili on effective design of onsite consultations, based on monitoring information received from Rukhadze and Tskhomelidze as well as internet traffic. On April 8-14, Tamar Rukhadze visited Akhaltsikhe-based media partner Samkhretis Karibche. Dachi Grdzelishvili joined her April 8-11 to deliver new equipment IREX granted to the outlet. Grdzelishvili arranged a charging and maintenance station for camcorders, distributed camera kits, set up new computers, installed shared multimedia storage, and taught outlet staff how to use and maintain the new equipment. On April 8-11, video and data engineer Lasha Nasaridze provided technical assistance to Samkhretis Karibche on installation and set-up of equipment provided as an in-kind contribution by IREX. He deconstructed old studio equipment and replaced it with new standard audio and video transmission equipment. Nasaridze also configured the receiver on the transmission tower and set up a new point-to-point (P2P) transmission channel between the tower and the studio to improve signal transmission and reception. He updated the online TV studio and corrected technical flaws in audio, video, lighting, recording, and streaming. Nasaridze set up a Local Area Network (LAN), set up computers, and connected them to the LAN. Nasaridze configured office computers and updated and optimized computer programs. Rukhadze worked with outlet staff on content production; she taught them how to plan stories and video pieces, and helped to improve visual storytelling techniques. Rukhadze devoted part of her time to newcomers, teaching them how to find, plan, and write stories. She also discussed various aspects of newsroom management with the editor and director of the outlet. On April 8-14, Rusudan Tskhomelidze visited Channel 9 in Akhaltsikhe. Dachi Grdzelishvili joined her on April 12-14, and Shota Gogishvili joined her on April 11-13. Grdzelishvili delivered equipment from IREX for field and studio work, and, together with Lasha Nasaridze (on April 12-14), worked on the installation and set-up of equipment provided as in-kind contribution by IREX. Nasaridze set-up a LAN, also set up computers, and connected them to the LAN. Nasaridze configured old office computers, updated and optimized computer programs, configured the multimedia storage system and connected it

8

to local network, and systematized the network and electrical wiring scheme. The TV studio was re-equipped with new modern audio and video equipment, giving the media outlet the capacity to produce content in full HD format. While the video studio can produce content for on-air broadcasting in full HD format, Channel 9 still is not able to provide a signal of HD quality to the audience. This is because the relay connection between the transmitter and the studio does not support transmission of such signal and Channel 9 does not have an HD modulator. Nasaridze gave Channel 9 recommendations on how to solve this problem. Gogishvili conducted a three-day training in video production at Channel 9. Together with Grdzelishvili, the trainer helped configure equipment provided as in-kind contribution by IREX. A pilot version of their news program with an anchor was recorded using a new TV crane that was installed in the studio. For a sample please follow the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEWzV2gsSnc&feature=youtu.be. Gogishvili and Grdzelishvili worked with new and experienced staff members on framing a feature story, editing skills, and specifics of short videos for social networks. They also worked on a mid-day show with entertainment and educational components, which Channel 9 plans to introduce. Gogishvili explained how to use new equipment when recording such show. In the previous reporting quarter, Channel 9 hired two staff members without any experience in journalism; one more was recruited in this reporting period. Tskhomelidze worked with web editor Rusudan Gvaramadze on the editor’s skills and taught her how to coach beginners. Tskhomelidze explained that the editor should be fully involved in the planning process, control preliminary research and fieldwork, discuss with the journalists form, structure and genre of the material, and confirm the material is prepared according to the agreed timeline. Tskhomelidze gave tips to the editor on how to analyze content and determine if it corresponds to the interests of the different target audiences. She explained how to analyze audience statistics and use them in planning, how to make content more diverse in terms of genres used and topics covered, and how to plan coverage of developing stories. Tskhomelidze also worked with the newcomers directly, explaining to each of them every step of storytelling, discussing mistakes made during the working process, and giving tips on how to achieve better results. On April 15-20, Dachi Grdzelishvili visited TV Borjomi (in Borjomi) to provide technical assistance on installation and set-up of equipment provided as an in-kind contribution by IREX. Lasha Nasaridze joined him on April 15-18. They installed and set-up new audio and video broadcast equipment, updated the TV studio and corrected technical flaws in audio, video, lighting, recording, and streaming. The TV studio was re-equipped with new, modern audio and video equipment giving the media outlet a capacity to produce content in full HD format. While the video studio can now produce content for on-air broadcasting in full HD format, it is not able to provide signal of HD quality to the audience. This is because the relay connection between the transmitter and the studio does not support transmission of such signal and TV Borjomi does not have an HD modulator. TV Borjomi received recommendations on how to solve this problem. Nasaridze set up a LAN, set up computers, and connected them to the LAN. He re-configured old office computers, updated and optimized computer programs, and configured the multimedia storage system NAS Storage and connected it to the local network. On April 16-18, Rusudan Tskhomelidze worked with the staff of Radio Marneuli, in Marneuli. The mentorship focused on multimedia stories with an in-depth format. A subgrant from IREX gave

9

journalists of Radio Marneuli an opportunity to thoroughly report on many issues important to local residents. Since journalists of Radio Marneuli had little experience in production of in-depth stories, Tskhomelidze discussed the topics they were working on, pointed out the mistakes, and gave them tips on how to gather comprehensive information and how to tell the story in a more engaging way. On April 17-19, Shota Gogishvili visited Samkhretis Karibche where he conducted a three-day training on video production for the whole team. On the first day of the training, the trainer helped configure equipment provided as in-kind contribution by IREX. He reviewed technical features of this equipment and adjusted the set-up of lighting in studio to new studio equipment. On the second day, the trainer reviewed previously published content to discuss common mistakes in video production and video editing. On the third day, the trainer worked with the team on designing graphical packages for video materials. The trainer worked on a pilot version of the video content produced in studio – video shooting in multicamera mode and editing materials shot using more than one camera. The trainer also explained how to minimize the time used to edit materials shot in multicamera mode. For sample content, please follow the links: 1. https://youtu.be/8IhY4xicIEE?t=108 2. https://youtu.be/k439PkUAu84 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=110&v=9l5KuetRRu8 4. https://www.facebook.com/samkhretiskaribche/videos/379334279585814/ On May 6-10, Dachi Grdzelishvili and Lasha Nasaridze visited ICN’s Tbilisi-based office. During the visit they worked on installation and set-up of equipment provided as an in-kind contribution by IREX. Nasaridze set up a LAN. He also set up computers and connected them to the local network. He configured old office computers and updated and optimized computer programs, configured multimedia storage system (NAS) and connected it to local network, and systematized the network and electrical wiring scheme. The TV studio was re-equipped with new modern audio video equipment, giving the media outlet the capacity to live broadcast to Pankisi-based Radio Way. For security reasons, a video surveillance system was installed in the newsroom. On May 7-9, Shota Gogishvili visited newspaper Batumelebi to conduct a three-day training in video production using the equipment provided as an in-kind contribution by IREX. The trainer accompanied staff to the field and participated in field production which included helping them with camera, lighting, and sound set-up. The trainer supervised the process of video editing after the field work and worked on packaging short videos for social media: video format, video framing, corrections in video editing, and graphics. He also discussed specifics of editing the short videos. For sample content, please follow the links: 1. https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/1843620675743493/ 2. https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/578923999270194/ 3. https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/1985260954918064/

10

On May 18-19, Rusudan Tskhomelidze and Shota Gogishvili worked at Radio Marneuli. On May 19, Marneuli municipality elected a city mayor; Tskhomelidze together with the staff planned the election coverage. She advised Radio Marneuli journalists to report on Election Day using live updates. Minute-by-minute, new information was added to the live blog, where visitors could find all the information about Election Day in one place: https://www.marneulifm.ge/ka/archevnebi. Gogishvili reviewed technical features of equipment (Osmo Poket, MEVO CAM PRO) provided as an in-kind contribution by IREX. He trained technical staff of the radio on how to use these tools while livestreaming on social media. In addition, the trainer reviewed previously published and recently produced materials to discuss common mistakes in the production and post-production processes. Tskhomelidze, Gogishvili, and editorial staff planned the production of several infographics. Gogishvili helped with the creation of interactive and static infographics to report on election results. Tskhomelidze also worked with the journalists on content production issues. On May 21-28, Dachi Grdzelishvili visited Batumelebi. During the visit, he installed all the equipment for the online studio control room including an audio video mixer, wireless microphone receivers, audio hybrid for receiving calls, power supplies, and a recorder-streamer device in one hard top case. After successful installation and testing, Grdzelishvili trained Batumelebi’s new staff member in how to operate and maintain the studio. On May 17-22, Tamar Rukhadze and Dachi Grdzelishvili visited Zugdidi-based partners livepress.ge and Radio Atinati. On May 19, Zugdidi elected a city mayor. Tamar Rukhadze worked with livepress.ge staff on election coverage of Election Day, along with the pre- and post-election periods. The mayoral election in Zugdidi turned out to be very tense and turbulent. With Rukhadze’s help livepress.ge created a special page on the website to provide live coverage. They updated the page manually with new information from livepress.ge reporters working at different polling stations and different parts of the city. Rukhadze assisted staff with multimedia stories and short videos, as well as with election posters and infographics, which were periodically published on livepress.ge’s Facebook page. In parallel, Dachi Grdzelishvili helped Radio Atinati to manage the Election Day coverage, create a live blog, and visualize the Election Day data. On May 23-29, Tamar Rukhadze visited Radio Atinati in Zugdidi. Rukhadze focused on news reporting in the post-election period, including feature stories and short videos for Facebook. The journalists received guidance on every step of the production process – from planning to publishing. Rukhadze worked with reporters of Radio Atinati in the field, assisting them with shooting and interviewing. She also helped them with writing and editing. On June 3-5, Tskhomelidze and Shota Gogishvili conducted an on-site training at Radio NOR. By that time Radio NOR had finished implementing its IREX subgrant, which allowed it to produce in-depth stories in multimedia format. Tskhomelidze and Gogishvili discussed improvements as well as remaining weaknesses and gave tips on how to address those. Tskhomelidze helped journalists plan and prepare new multimedia stories and Gogishvili helped them with visual storytelling skills. The training focused on video production techniques using the equipment provided as in-kind contribution by IREX. A pilot version of the content was recorded in studio using a Mevo livestream camera. A portable video

11

stabilization camera – DJI Osmo Pocket – was used to record an interview for multimedia pieces. The reporting used in multimedia pieces was also shot using this camera. The trainer also worked on creating graphical templates of animated subtitles. For sample content, please follow the links: 1. https://www.facebook.com/radiotvnor/videos/2324466664536454/ 2. https://www.facebook.com/radiotvnor/videos/410370752887412/ 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szO1Iw6brB8&feature=youtu.be Kremlin propaganda is a challenge for Radio NOR, which operates in a region populated by ethnic Armenians. Men from this community work in Russia seasonally to provide for their families. Also, much if the population does not speak Georgian, so Russian TV is their main source of information. Tskhomelidze discussed this problem with the team of Radio NOR and explained how to, step-by-step and without alienating the community, expose Kremlin propaganda and provide the audience with facts and fact-based analysis. Tskhomelidze explained how Kremlin propaganda works and how to fact-check information coming from Kremlin-sponsored sources. On June 3-8, Tamar Rukhadze visited Samkhretis Karibche to help it deal with difficulties caused by unexpected changes in newsroom management. In May 2019, Editor-in-Chief Tamar Uchidze left Samkhretis Karibche for Transparency International Georgia. The media outlet had to choose a new editor-in-chief and take some actions to ensure uninterrupted operation of the newsroom. Tinatin Zazadze, one of the leading reporters, was appointed as the new editor-in-chief, and radio editor Tako Feikrishvili and radio host Gulo Kokhodze moved to the newsroom as reporters. Rukhadze assisted the team with the transition. She worked with Samkhretis Karibche’s director, editor, journalists, cameramen, and social media manager. Rukhadze helped the team choose topics for, and plan and edit feature stories to be produced in the frame of the station’s IREX subgrant. On June 6-8, Rusudan Tskhomelidze worked with the team of JNews in Akhalkalaki. Storytelling was one of the main tasks of this mentorship. JNews completed its IREX subgrant shortly before the visit. Tskhomelidze discussed with the editorial staff the results of the project, achievements, and weaknesses with producing in-depth multimedia stories. Tskhomelidze helped the journalists with editorial work. The ethnic Armenian population of Javakheti depends on Russia and Russian information sources for its livelihood and information, makes them especially vulnerable to Kremlin propaganda. Tskhomelidze analyzed materials published by JNews through this prism, pointed to the mistakes made in one article, and emphasized the need for thorough fact-checking. On June 7, CoP Lia Chakhunashvili joined Tskhomelidze and Rima Garibyan, editor-in-chief of JNews, to discuss Kremlin propaganda and how to reduce its impact on readers of JNews by providing facts and fact-based analysis of the issues that concern the region’s residents. On June 24-28, Shota Gogishvili visited Radio Way to conduct a three-day training in video production. The trainer accompanied staff to the field every day and helped with camerawork, lighting and sound set-up, and camera synchronization. The trainer supervised the process of video editing after the field work. Field materials were shot using traditional camera, video stabilization camera, DJI Osmo Pokect,

12

and Drone. The trainer assisted Radio Way in recording pilot versions of radio talk-shows using a Mevo camera to livestream the content. He updated editing software and created templates to optimize the process of video-editing. Please follow the links for the sample work: 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=S6Fdn4qgEMs 2. https://www.facebook.com/radioway.ge/videos/384090762238293/ On June 11-16, Dachi Grdzelishvili and Lasha Nasaridze visited ICN’s Gurjaani-based office. They worked on installation and set-up of equipment provided as an in-kind contribution by IREX. Nasaridze set up computers and connected them to the local network. He re-configured old office computers, updated and optimized computer programs, and systematized the network and electrical wiring scheme. The TV Studio was re-equipped with new modern audio and video equipment, which Grdzelishvili installed in a hard-top portable case giving the media outlet a capacity to live broadcast or record talk shows from the villages in the region. On June 17-21, Dachi Grdzelishvili and Lasha Nasaridze visited Pankisi-based Radio Way. During the visit they worked on installation and set-up of equipment provided as an in-kind contribution by IREX. Nasaridze set up computers and connected them to the local network and systematized the network and electrical wiring scheme. The radio studio was re-built with new modern audio equipment and moved to another room with more space, giving the media outlet the capacity to broadcast and record talk shows with more guests. An experienced journalism trainer, Zviad Koridze, continued to work with the team of qartli.ge in Gori on editorial and production skills. In this reporting period Koridze provided 16 days of training to the team of qartli.ge. Koridze worked with Giorgi Akhalkatsi, a talk-show host who joined qartli.ge a few months ago. He provided Akhalkatsi with feedback on previously produced shows and helped to plan new episodes. Koridze spent substantial time discussing professional standards. He worked with Saba Tsitsikashvili, editor-in-chief of qartli.ge, and Malkhaz Mikeladze on investigative stories. Koridze discussed available public data sets and helped them develop a plan for investigation. Koridze helped Saba Tsitsikashvili plan articles and video stories to be produced around Easter time. Reports from the villages along the demarcation line were especially important because the population living there did not know if they would be allowed to visit the graves of their family members in the Ossetian-controlled territory. Tsitsikashvili got in touch with respondents in these villages. Koridze advised Tsitsikashvili on how to report a murder of an infant by her underage mother and how to report on his encounter with the police when reporting on a car accident. Koridze helped qartli.ge plan coverage of the May 26th Independence Day celebrations. He discussed the important role human-interest stories play in increasing audience interest. Koridze helped qartli.ge to plan their reporting on the anniversary of the August war. By the end of the reporting period, two M-TAG partners, qartli.ge and Radio Atinati, received annual evaluation letters with recommendations from Tamar Rukhadze. The letters noted progress made by the partners during the last year and pointed to the areas which require further improvement.

13

Rusudan Tskhomelidze and Tamar Rukhadze created guidelines for M-TAG partners on how to prepare Vox-pops to bring forward opinions and attitudes of locals and how to use them in the programs. TV Borjomi and Channel 9 continued implementation of the nine-month-long subgrants they received from IREX in November 2018. The subgrants were $22,284 and $22,500, respectively, to help develop their web portals as independent media products and generate income from online sales. The TV stations report on diverse communities living in Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Channel 9 translates part of their content into Armenian to make it accessible to ethnic Armenians living in its coverage area. During this reporting period, Channel 9 prepared 120 multimedia pieces in Georgian and translated all 120 of them into Armenian, meeting milestones 5, 6 and 7. Please see Appendix #1 for the links. TV Borjomi prepared 80 multimedia pieces, meeting milestones 4 and 5. Please see Appendix #2 for the links. SK News, Batumelebi, and Kutaisi Post continued implementation of the eight-month-long subgrants they received from IREX in December 2018. The subgrants were $24,800, $24,760 and $22,240, respectively, to help diversify their web content by reporting on life, traditions, interests, practices, and problems of different local communities. Each media outlet prepares five multimedia format features monthly. Batumelebi and SK News also prepare short videos, or teasers, of the multimedia stories for their social media platforms. Kutaisi Post In the reporting period Kutaisi Post prepared 11 features in multimedia format, meeting the obligations under milestones 4 and 5. Milestone #4: Story #1: Handmade woodcrafts. The story talks about craftsmen working on woodcrafts https://www.kutaisipost.ge/ka/component/content/article/34-2019-05-07-07-14-48/14634-khis-ostatebi?fbclid=IwAR2iFqNJ_O1xZPP3rKEcZy_Z9Djcf-1OgCNg06_LPQOuXu9RACw5ZFtaPyA Story #2: Silence and exasperation at the occupation line in Perevi https://www.kutaisipost.ge/ka/statiebi/sazogadoeba/article/14656-damelode-saqarthvelo?fbclid=IwAR279iI-icFq8ht-LlKenf9pmuwK7jyPUr1KWagnnxlO6k_u93-wCEloFOY Story #3: Masters of handmade clay pots from village Shrosha https://www.kutaisipost.ge/ka/statiebi/sazogadoeba/article/14623-tsitheli-mitsis-ostatebi-foto-video-?fbclid=IwAR2Ei3UTnrqliyNS2Gy1-D93Zd_RybXYwnZ35AyMxgYyIzvbfRuBj1PeFj4 Story #4: Masters from Tkibuli who craft gagat jewels https://www.kutaisipost.ge/ka/component/content/article/34-2019-05-07-07-14-48/14755-tyibuleli-khelovanebis-gamoqnili-gisheri-video-foto-?fbclid=IwAR2He05LKXe85hkrtj8Txurq5lrImLrdk6_jfddA0YpCf6TfjNktNwudPfw Story #5: Restoring craft of roof tile-making https://www.kutaisipost.ge/ka/statiebi/sazogadoeba/article/14729-sathauri?fbclid=IwAR3x7AnMe-zv3cs_pNMojvhcYtmeS-8Sc-IvIY2Osg3xAc34FesdAkBNmfY Story #6: “Immortals” from villages of Imerti

14

https://www.kutaisipost.ge/ka/statiebi/sazogadoeba/article/14717--ukvdavebi-imeruli-soflidan-video-?fbclid=IwAR0dQA1LM7cd6FCAOq3SeTU0xqFl3QofTyPRork3RGGf2KDZ4pdxcu2QkOQ Milestone #5 Story #1 A story of mineworkers from Chiatura https://www.kutaisipost.ge/ka/component/content/article/34-2019-05-07-07-14-48/14941-tcithura?fbclid=IwAR1goCWMxZVndmwikc-p0jLefGP8x8Z7L7o8wrBJ3nKmUpF68r_ZB16OmOM Story #2 Female Rugby players from Kutaisi https://www.kutaisipost.ge/ka/akhali-ambebi/article/15169-quthaiseli-gogonebis-lelo-video-foto-?fbclid=IwAR1goCWMxZVndmwikc-p0jLefGP8x8Z7L7o8wrBJ3nKmUpF68r_ZB16OmOM Story # 3 No village without school. The story talks about the mountainous villages of Imereti where population is declining, and there are no children left to attend the schools. https://www.kutaisipost.ge/ka/component/content/article/34-2019-05-07-07-14-48/15043-ar-iqneba-skola-ar-iqneba-sofeli-imerethis-mtha-ramdenime-mostsavlith-foto-video-?fbclid=IwAR0aW53qMhBoq5Hm0lK1n9qunyS1s4BnefCMlvnNU-MRRVPUlJuOpW5-fPQ Story # 4 Shared fillings. The story talks about social enterprise uniting 11 women from different socially vulnerable groups https://www.kutaisipost.ge/ka/component/content/article/34-2019-05-07-07-14-48/15073-gaziarebuli-grdznobebis-socialuri-satsarmo?fbclid=IwAR0mzJqY4IG6xmrVLR11thNsZ8YLH8qcAwXbPDMdTgf43pVqp71dSwj5WTw Story # 5 The boys that must survive. The story talks about lives of adolescents with behavior disorder in specialized boarding school https://www.kutaisipost.ge/ka/component/content/article/34-2019-05-07-07-14-48/15142-bitcebi-romlebic-unda-gadarchdnen-foto-video-?fbclid=IwAR1f25vROfwCEBYwmmRvM-oXLNkhuS06RwlQq9yr7FRID9FVbF84DvRvjys SK News In the reporting period SK News prepared 11 features in multimedia format and 11 short videos, meeting obligation under milestones 4 and 5. Milestone #4: Story #1: A story about a community of shepherds in Akhaltsikhe http://sknews.ge/index.php?newsid=21963 Short video: https://www.facebook.com/samkhretiskaribche/videos/403647866859396/ Story #2: Teachers from Zarzma monastery – monks who teach in Zarzma public school http://sknews.ge/index.php?newsid=20889 Short video https://www.facebook.com/samkhretiskaribche/videos/379334279585814/ Story #3: Settlement of miners left without mines http://sknews.ge/index.php?newsid=22297 Short video https://www.facebook.com/samkhretiskaribche/videos/2399755433390932/ Story #4: Story about a community of gravediggers in Akhaltsikhe http://sknews.ge/index.php?newsid=20991 Short video https://www.facebook.com/samkhretiskaribche/videos/1270129263143878/

15

Story #5 Meskhetian heritage lost in red terror http://sknews.ge/index.php?newsid=22229 Short video: https://www.facebook.com/samkhretiskaribche/videos/316006945736411/ Story #6: Polish community in Akhaltsikhe http://sknews.ge/index.php?newsid=22346 Short video https://www.facebook.com/samkhretiskaribche/videos/881159788891116 Milestone # 5 Story #1: “Sport is Everything”. The story presents athletes from Akhaltsikhe http://sknews.ge/index.php?newsid=22810&fbclid=IwAR3aC3ZRyhNs1RDgkQIxXlWyMokP1hn_lft8m5xmv82FCCoBoI_dUXAMP1s Short video https://www.facebook.com/samkhretiskaribche/videos/493824451355349/ Story #2: Story of environmental activists from Akhaltsikhe http://sknews.ge/index.php?newsid=22758 Short video https://www.facebook.com/samkhretiskaribche/videos/854184181581291/ Story #3: Female soldiers from Akhaltsikhe 13th division http://sknews.ge/index.php?newsid=22752 Short video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2041110302862262Story #4: A village where time has stopped. This story talks about an abandoned village http://sknews.ge/index.php?newsid=22844 Short video: https://www.facebook.com/samkhretiskaribche/videos/2062149780746533/ Story #5: Story talks about community of young girls from village Muskho that study folk crafts http://sknews.ge/index.php?newsid=22727 Short video https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=422171235274217 Batumelebi During the reporting period Batumelebi prepared 17 features in multimedia format and 17 short videos, meeting obligations under milestones 4, 5, and 6. Milestone #4: Story #1: Occupation – parking attendant http://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/194606/ Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/321474728554282/ Story #2: Vegetarianism – standpoint not a diet http://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/195764/?fbclid=IwAR1V9rye1yWgevD93sify8nAjaFlQr_OANA-WzsXZeqSHEf5zb0PpulH5ec Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/412109609615262/ Story #3: Story of teachers over 80 still teaching at schools http://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/195910/ Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/2131538123590530/ Story #4: Community of self-employed workers in the streets of Batumi http://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/196885/ Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/2328085634139771/

16

Story #5: From orchard to market. The story talks about peasants selling crops in the street market of Batumi http://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/197994/?fbclid=IwAR0vXbZ90cZqWO36F08_BNvWjis-ZAL7BY9xNIginrCQVk0gYxM5um88YxM Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/2242172566109967/ Story #6: Flowers as a hobby and business http://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/198699/?fbclid=IwAR2BggRhpmhGvg2T6mDbBExzaHaHH6R1wBMyRSh1PKmpRwfw-9kiS_eEZKE Short video: https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/419854295478616/ Milestone #5 Story #1: Women from Georgia working in Turkey http://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/199540/?fbclid=IwAR1QhAbF6B5r3HlIjVUhldVxFVpaYdMGK5dapGy62-aUhhCRs-uEwmAOYb0 Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/357409921793504/ Story #2: Story of five veterans who survived World War II http://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/200644/?fbclid=IwAR1JYRKEblSpZqmGvULJ4Ffsmxu2DenQwCWrnO1jkrtjd1Enp_T-Adoyd9A Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/2252845021425801/ Story #3: Hard work of grocery store workers http://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/201012/ Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/314380062795608/ Story #4: Quite people with noisy engines. The story talks about the lives of bikers living in Batumi http://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/202896/?fbclid=IwAR1iYNxgcydNnn3KfIwndgsF1kDFYpPwXhp4iIxjA915ePK3vXbmKv9JRUk Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/2293483350933744/ Story#5: Profession – tailor http://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/205088/?fbclid=IwAR1SN4ttCAio7w-hHg4H57Ukue-L7W_XC0g7ERCV4pyiBYNFsNJo5YOkLXc Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/295096441434463/ Milestone #6 Story #1: Women from strawberry orchards https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/208803/ Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/2354738628142459/ Story #2: People with hearing disabilities looking for jobs https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/209172/ Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/317003145879573/ Story #3: Red terror trace – stories of repressions of 1937 https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/209293/ Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/578166125923412/ Story #4: Stories told by lifeguards from Batumi Beach https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/211467/ Short video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/451068508959900/

17

Story #5: Life without clean water in the villages of Kobuleti https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/213462/ Short video: https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/2337346156536508/ Story #6: Female DJs from Batumi https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/213997/?fbclid=IwAR3c5s074WdQkQAwvYvkraWRyfb3RjJV1BdVlmF4IuPqTyvH1KaAv2Q3jvw Short Video https://www.facebook.com/batumelebi/videos/864698240595431/ 1.1.3 In-depth and investigative reporting mentoring and grants There are no updates for this quarter on this component. 1.1.4 Sector-specific Reporting on reform IREX completed this activity in December 2016.

1.1.5 Support sharing of content among regional media The Georgian Association of Regional Broadcasters (GARB) now has a new server and uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which IREX procured for the association in the initial phase of M-TAG. Since the installation, GARB members are able to exchange news and other content without interruption and delays. This activity is complete.

1.1.7.1 Content production sub-grants Radio NOR, Radio Marneuli, JNews, and Radio Way completed implementation of their content production subgrants, which IREX issued in summer 2018, in the amount of $12,000 each. They reported on the problems that hinder integration of ethnic minorities. The radio stations prepared radio programs and multimedia content on the same issues on a bi-weekly basis. The web portal prepares in-depth reports on a bi-weekly basis. By the May 30thdeadline, Radio NOR, Radio Marneuli, and JNews met obligations under five out of the six planned milestones. By June 30th, Radio Way met obligations under three out of six planned milestones. Because teams of the four media outlets were relatively inexperienced in production of this type of content (in-depth stories in multimedia format) and they wanted to achieve high-quality outcomes, it took them longer to finalize each story than they anticipated and they could not produce all deliverables by the deadline. JNews During the reporting period, JNews prepared four multimedia stories, meeting obligations under milestone 4 and 5. Milestone #4 Story #1: Echo of mountainous Karabakh in Georgia http://jnews.ge/?p=30731

18

Story #2: Railway route Baku-Tbilisi-Kars. The story talks about the pros and cons of this route for the population of Akhaltsikhe municipality. http://jnews.ge/?p=31510 Story #3: This story talks about the importance of knowledge of Georgian language as well as about the state programs that support the learning of Georgian language. http://jnews.ge/?p=32047 Story #4: General and specific barriers to decentralization http://jnews.ge/?p=30047 Milestone #5 Story#1: Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia – NATO, reality and barriers http://jnews.ge/?p=33063 Story#2: Women from Javakheti: from breaking stereotypes to being victims of violence http://jnews.ge/?p=33271 Story #3: Javakheti, a place forgotten by tourists. The story talks about how Javakheti is excluded from touristic routes, regardless the fact that Javakheti has a lot of sightseeing sites to offer. http://jnews.ge/?p=33347 Story #4: Confusing road signs in Javakheti. The story talks about how names of villages on the road signs differ names the villagers use and how much misunderstanding that causes. http://jnews.ge/?p=33622 Radio NOR During the reporting period Radio NOR published 8 multimedia stories and corresponding radio programs, meeting obligations under milestones 4 and 5. Milestone# 4: Story #1: First maintain the roads, and then conduct technical inspection of cars http://nor.ge/?p=115162 Story #2: Harvest – controlled by weather. The story talks about the hardship of farmers that grow harvest in Ninotsminda http://nor.ge/?p=117149 Story #3: Lack of young workforce in Ninotsminda http://nor.ge/?p=117404 Story #4: Russian media – main source of information for population of Nintsminda Municipality http://nor.ge/?p=117401 Milestone #5: Story: #1: Homemade dairy products will be replaced by factory-made http://nor.ge/?p=114217 Story #2: Women who break stereotypes in Ninotsminda http://nor.ge/?p=115243 Story #3: Growth in livestock, decline in price. The story talks about the difficulties of pig farming in Ninotsminda

19

http://nor.ge/?p=114188 Story #4: Russian products on shelves of shops in Nintsminda http://nor.ge/?p=117410 Radio Marneuli During the reporting period Radio Manreuli prepared 12 radio programs and published 15 multimedia materials in the Georgian and Azerbaijani languages, meeting obligations under milestones 3, 4, and 5. Milestone #3, in Georgian Language Story #1: Access to clean water – problem of more than 30 villages located in Marneuli https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/19836-marneulis-30-ze-met-sofels-tsyali-arasdros-hqonia Story #2: Time and textbooks – the reasons which hinder learning of Georgian language in non-Georgian language schools https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/19607-dro-da-sakhelmdzghvaneloebi-faqtorebi-rac-araqarthulenovan-skolebshi-qarthulis-shestsavlas-aferkhebs Story #3: “Spreading flu viruses in Marneuli”. The story talks about how disinformation is speared in Marneuli https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/18432-uckhour-mediashi-gavrcelebuli-mcdari-informaciebi-lugaris-laboratoriaze-da-marneulelebis-damokidebuleba-virusul-daavadebebze Story #4: Delayed responses to the requests for public information from Marneuli municipality https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/20384--aqtualuri-thema-sajaro-informaciis-dagvianebuli-tserilebi Story # 5: Only 30 % of children living in Marneuli receive pre-school education https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/19841-2019-04-25-12-48-30 Milestone #3, in Azerbaijani language Story #1: Access to clean water – problem of more than 30 villages located in Marneuli https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/19852-2019-04-24-21-13-29?fbclid=IwAR2JmneHBe-798Mp-hNrJSm0wGEtFs6zagIw1ViIqxvQDMvJcknqOra6RaQ Story #2: Time and textbooks – the reasons that hinder learning of Georgian language in non-Georgian language schools https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/19762-vaxt-v-drsliklr-qeyri-gurcudilli-mktblrd-gurcu-dilinin-tdrisin-mane-olan-faktorlar?fbclid=IwAR1GDZSaJZkVyyLxGwmMvosZemxvyny8vX4qTcsir5BYJ0ksbTH9lKS5ILQ Story #3 “Spreading flu viruses in Marneuli. The story talks about how disinformation is speared in Marneuli https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/19417-2019-04-22-21-21-44?fbclid=IwAR1IaXLej0M5WWIF5Y0LhBy9UHjMLuAfgz6PEDmZR4xId4ECsag9XGAyGPU Story #4: Delayed responses to the requests for public information from Marneuli municipality https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/20589-2019-05-21-12-14-20 Story #5: Only 30 % of children living in Marneuli receive pre-school education https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/20576-2019-05-20-22-24-25

20

Milestone #4, in Georgian Language: Story#1: Factors that contribute to the integration or isolation of ethnic minorities from the society https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/20823-aqtualuri-thema-ethnikuri-umciresobebis-gauckhoebis-da-integraciis-khelshemtsyobi-faqtorebi?fbclid=IwAR2Ua2teHVykaWZskEjk8Ny3e3hvE01riTA_ccMRt_gKHxaHBzh-1P1K1qk Story#2: Azerbaijani media – information space for Marneuli population https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/20802-azerbaijanidan-gagebuli-saqarthvelos-siakhleebi-marneulelebis-sainformacio-sivrce Story#3: Maintaining cultural heritage in the process of integration https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/20826-aqtualuri-thema-ethnikuri-umciresobebis-kulturis-shenarchuneba-integraciis-zhams?fbclid=IwAR2OXTT3lsijoOCJkEyR3x9Hm1SF8lqdkScaHv3qaTGZbNdzI5Q6E0Ou_Rg Story #4: Violations of safety of operations in railway road in Marneuli. The story talks about increased amount of accidents happening while crossing the railway road. https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/20807-sarkinigzo-tragedia-marneulshi-da-umoqmedo-khelisufleba Story #5: Gender equality https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/14561--aqtualuri-thema-kacebs-qalebthan-konstruqciuli-dialogi-erideba Milestone #4, in Azerbaijani language Story#1: Factors that contribute to the integration or isolation of ethnic minorities from the society https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/20827--tnik-azlqlarn-tcridi-v-inteqrasiyaya-yardm-edn-amillr Story#2: Azerbaijani media – information space for Marneuli population https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/20810-2019-06-03-09-31-57 Story#3: Maintaining cultural heritage in the process of integration https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/20814-nteqrasiya-zaman-milli-azlqlarn-mdniyytinin-qorunmas Story #4: Violations of safety of operations in railway road in Marneuli. The story talks about increased amount of accidents happening while crossing the railway road https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/20809--arneulid-dmiryolu-facisi-v-hrktsiz-hakimiyyt Story #5: Gender equality https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/article/21446--aqtualuri-thema-kacebs-qalebthan-konstruqciuli-dialogi-erideba Milestone #5, in Georgian Language: Story #1: Pension Reform – the confusion around it https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/20812-sapensio-gadacema Story#2: Financial loss off GEL 100,000 suffered by a cattle owner – how the lack of awareness impacts farmers of Marneuli https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/20811-fermerebi

21

Story#3: How opposition lost the local elections https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/20813-aqtualuri-thema-opoziciis-marckhi-didi-skhvaobith-archevnebi-2019?fbclid=IwAR0BcN9THyHXbfmV-UxsCDu-PtUamcjiXEEreTBp-CXXDsy0hJV20dq0cvk Story #4: Integration through Internship – effective or formal state program https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/20753-integracia-stazhirebis-gavlith-qmedithi-thu-formaluri-sakhelmtsifo-programa Story #5: Touristic potential of Marneuli https://marneulifm.ge/ka/gadacemebi/aqtualuri-thema/article/21697-aqtualuri-thema-marneulis-turistuli-potenciali-da-uvado-momavalis-gegmebi Milestone #5, in Azerbaijani language Story #1: Pension Reform – the confusion around it https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/20819-2019-06-03-13-45-08 Story #2: Financial loss off GEL 100,000 suffered by a cattle owner – how the lack of awareness impacts farmers of Marneuli https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/20815--ermer-100000-lariy-baa-gln-drmanlama Story #3: How opposition lost the local elections https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/20818-aqtualuri-thema-opoziciis-marckhi-didi-skhvaobith-archevnebi-2019 Story #4: Integration through Internship – effective or formal state program https://marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/20788-2019-06-03-06-37-20 Story #5: Touristic potential of Marneuli https://www.marneulifm.ge/az/verilishler/aktual-movzu/article/21700-2019-07-10-22-34-12 Radio Way During the reporting period Radio Way prepared eight radio programs and corresponding multimedia materials, meeting obligations under milestones 2 and 3. Milestone # 2 Story #1: Protest due to failure in construction of Pankisi-Tusheti Road https://radioway.ge/programs/me-and-state/item/878 Story #2: Mechanism of coping with radicalization and violence in Pankisi Gorge https://radioway.ge/programs/me-and-state/item/879 Story #3: Access to sports in Pankisi Gorge https://radioway.ge/programs/me-and-state/item/881 Story #4: Legal services the state offers to population in Pankisi Gorge https://radioway.ge/programs/me-and-state/item/916 Milestone # 3 Story #1: Alienation and other problems as barriers on the way to integration https://radioway.ge/news/people/item/890

22

Story #2: What is in Pankisi Gorge development plan? https://radioway.ge/news/people/item/922 Story#3: Problems for tourism in Pankisi Gorge https://radioway.ge/news/business/item/905 Story #4: Chronology of April 21 events in Pankisi Gorge https://radioway.ge/news/people/item/907 1.1.7.2 Equipment grants IREX procured equipment in the U.S. and in Georgia for its 11 partner media organizations: Batumelebi, ICN, Radio Way, SK News, Borjomi TV, Channel 9, Kutaisi Post, Radio Nor, Radio Marneuli, Guria News, and JNews. Each partner received a different set that met their individual needs. The pieces of equipment IREX purchased are essential for multimedia production, operation of online TV studios, securely storing multimedia content, and radio production. IREX procured field production and studio equipment from B&H in the U.S. and equipment for post-production, such as computer sets, from Ltd Ultra in Georgia. IREX gave the equipment to media partners through in-kind awards, granting them physical possession with the right to use. The titles will be transferred to them after the in-kind awards expire. IREX issued three-month in-kind awards to following media outlets: Channel 9 – $15,489.83 (April 1 – June 30, 2019). The equipment was delivered to the organization on April 7, 2019. Samkhretis Karibche – $23,422.61 (April 1 – June 30, 2019). The equipment was delivered to the organization on April 7, 2019. TV Borjomi – $23,283.68 (April 1 – June 30, 2019). The equipment was delivered to the organization on April 7, 2019. Radio NOR – $2,468.44 (April 5 – July 5, 2019). The radio received equipment on April 7, 2019. JNews – $1,907.48 (April 5 – July 5, 2019). The equipment was delivered to the organization on April 10, 2019. Radio Marneuli – $2,138.41 (April 5 – July 5, 2019). The equipment was delivered to the organization on April 18, 2019. ICN – $27,152.15 (April 5 – July 5, 2019). The equipment was delivered to the organization on May 6, 2019. Radio Way – $10,028.94 (May 1 – July 30, 2019). The equipment was delivered to the organization on June 11.

23

The following in-kind awards expired in this reporting period: Batumelebi – $29,748.35 (March 1 – May 31, 2019) Kutaisi Post – $21,791.57 (March 1 – May 31, 2019) Guria News – $2,812.13 (March 7 – June 7, 2019) Channel 9 – $15,489.83 (April 1 – June 30, 2019) Samkhretis Karibche – $23,422.61 (April 1 – June 30, 2019) TV Borjomi – $23,283.68 (April 1 – June 30, 2019) The inventory reports will be reviewed, and transfer agreements will be prepared in next reporting quarter. 1.2 Journalists and Media Outlets Adhere to Professional Standards and Ethics

1.2.1 Organizational development support to Ethics Charter The Charter ended the quarter with 363 members, including three new members. One member suspended her membership.

To further improve organizational systems, the Charter adopted a timesheet form, a policy on reimbursing business trip expenses for the Charter’s employees, and a policy on reimbursing expenses of travel and accommodation for participants of events organized by the Charter in Tbilisi.

1.2.2 Support to media community to improve standards and ethics Review of complaints In the reporting period, 28 complaints were filed with the Charter, out of which one was assessed as inadmissible. The Charter examined 19 cases, 11 of which were submitted in this reporting period and six were carried over from the previous reporting period. Two cases were discussed in the previous reporting period, but the decisions on them were made in April. One case was resolved through mediation. At the end of this quarter, 15 cases were in the pipeline. During the reporting quarter, the Ethics Charter reviewed the following cases: 1. Chaikhana.ge vs. Ninutsa Kakhniauri, journalist at Georgian Public Broadcaster This complaint concerned plagiarism. Program Akhali Kvira at Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) showed a video about a teacher from village Gumbati, Ira Dzirkvadze, titled “A Girl from the Village of Sunset.” Three weeks before that, on January 4, Chaikhana published a video on its web page about the

24

same person titled similarly. The Charter determined that it was a journalist of Chaikhana who discovered Ira Dzirkvadze, the protagonist. The journalist from GPB learned about her from Chaikana’s video. However, the host of Akhali Kvira still introduced Ira Dzirkvadze as their own find. The Charter Council decided that Principle 11 (on plagiarism) was violated since both the host and the journalist of GPB ignored Chakikana and did not mention the author of the material they used as their source. The Council explained that, in the digital era, the definition of plagiarism has broader application which includes giving credit to other media sources under similar circumstances. Only the applicant attended the hearing. The respondent did not cooperate with the Charter. 2. NGO Georgian Young Lawyer Association vs Natia Songhulashvili, journalist at TV Imedi The Georgian Young Lawyer Association (GYLA) believed that the report aired in news program Qronika at TV Imedi titled “Report of U.S. State Department – 47 pages of the document are dedicated to Georgia” violated Principles 1, 3, 5, and 11 of the Charter. The report discusses cases of torture and inhumane treatment referencing Georgian NGOs as the source of information. The journalist said that the representatives of NGOs cannot recall these cases. TV Imedi interviewed Sulkhan Saladze, Chairman of GYLA. He asked the journalist to contact Nona Kurdovanidze, manager of GYLA’s project, for information about specific facts. The Charter said that since the journalist read the report and was directed to the relevant respondent for the comment, but nevertheless alleged that NGO representatives cannot recall facts stated in this report, the Charter believes that Principle 1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), and 11 (on distortion of facts) were all violated. Principle 5 (on correction) was violated too, because GYLA applied to self-regulatory body of TV Imedi, but the TV station did not correct the information. Only the applicant attended the hearing. The respondent did not cooperate with the Charter. 3. Citizen Gocha Ugulava vs Maia Asatiani, host at TV Rustavi 2 Gocha Ugulava applied to the Charter concerned that the TV show Profile negatively talked about fat and hairy men. The applicant considered this hate speech against certain looking people. The Charter agreed with the applicant and said that this was discrimination based on appearance. Therefore, Principle 7 (on discrimination) was violated. The Charter discussed the case without interviewing the parties, through means of remote communication. 4. Journalist Lela Kurdghelashvili vs Mariam Gaprindashvili, journalist at Rustavi 2 The material in question was about a troll factory operating during the Tbilisi mayoral pre-election period in 2017. In the video, a confidential source said that Lela Kurdghelashvili had a close connection to them. Lela Kurdghelashvili applied to the Charter, denying any connection. She said that the journalist and her colleagues knew that she was editor of webpage “S Persona”. The Charter decided that Principle 1 (on accuracy), Principle 3 (on concealing facts), Principle 5 (on correction) and Principle 11 (on distortion of facts) were violated, because the video was based on one source. Also, a comment from the accused, Lela Kurdghelashvili, was not included, and therefore, her participation in trolling was not proved. Moreover, several days earlier the same journalist prepared similar material, where Lela Kurdghelashvili denied any connection with the trolling group. The journalist did not use this recording

25

for balance in the new material and did not show her position at all. Only the applicant attended the hearing. The respondent did not cooperate with the Charter. 5. Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF) vs Nodar Chachua, journalist at Georgia Public Broadcaster The material in question was about the presentation of a study supported by OSGF. A journalist on the 12:00 pm news program said that the OSGF hid a part of the study related to GPB and only disclosed it after GPB requested it. The same was repeated at the next news program at 3:00 pm. OSGF provided evidence that they informed GPB a day before the presentation and sent slides to Nodar Chachua before his stand-up. Therefore, the Charter decided that Principle 1 (on accuracy) and Principle 11 (on distortion of facts) were violated. The Charter thought that Principle 5 (on correction) was violated too because GPB did not correct the material after it received relevant request. Representatives of the applicant attended the hearing. The respondent was contacted via phone but refused to participate in the discussion. 6. Evex Hospitals vs news portal Commersant.ge (case 1) The material in question was titled “GHG Group increases dividends for shareholders. Its clinics are slaughter-houses for patients, while the Ministry of Health is quiet.” The article discussed the death of 29 year old Melano Putkaradze. Her mother blames the death on doctors of the Batumi referral hospital, which is a member of Evex Hospital Group. The article called the hospital unprofessional and said that they do not invest in development, and are not implementing international protocols and guidelines. After hearing the case, the Council concluded that the publication did not have any evidence to prove the accusations, any relevant sources to base them on, and they did not ask Evex representatives for commentary. Therefore, they violated Principle 1 (on accuracy) of the Charter. Both the applicant and the respondent attended the hearing. 7. Evex Hospitals vs news portal Commersant.ge (case 2) The article in question was titled “Evex is involved in criminal scandal” and concerned finding an embryo in sewage pipe of Kobuleti regional hospital, which is a member of Evex hospitals. The article showed a negative and subjective attitude towards Evex hospitals network. The journalist said that these hospitals often make errors and violate standards but “there is no adequate reaction from the administration or health authorities.” The article did not mention sources, which could have given journalists the basis for such a conclusion. The Charter Council decided that the Principle 1 (on accuracy) was violated. Both the applicant and the respondent attended the hearing. 8. Citizen Rashid Ziadalyev vs Ketuna Budaghashvili, journalist at TV Imedi The first part of the material in question discussed the heritage of ethnic German population of Bolnisi region; the second part discussed historical buildings in Bolnisi, including Orthodox churches. The applicant complained that although a big part of the Bolnisi’s population are ethnic Azerbaijanis, the

26

material did not even mention this. Therefore, they thought that the Principle 7 (on discrimination) was violated. The Council did not find any violation of the principles, because the journalists are free to choose which landmarks to talk about while discussing a certain region, and they are free to choose the frame of coverage. The journalist is not obligated to talk about everything that is going on in the region or show every group who lives there, in one material. The applicant attended the hearing. The journalist provided written response. 9. Khelvachauri Municipality vs Teona Kharabadze, journalist at Ajara Public Broadcaster The material was about stadium renovation in Jibinauri village. The material was based on an audit report and said that the obligations were not fully met by the contractor. The journalist’s text was accompanied by a video, which proved that the stadium is in poor condition. Jibinauri village has two stadiums, one of which was renovated, and the applicant provided photos of the other, unrenovated stadium which showed that the stadium was renovated as proof. The respondent acknowledged the mistake. The Charter concluded that Principle 1 (on accuracy) was violated. The applicant could not attend the hearing. The journalist answered the Council’s questions via phone. 10. Deputy Prosecutor Levan Lazareshvili vs Mari Dudunia, journalist at Studio Monitor The material in question was an investigation by Studio Monitor titled “Nepotism and Corruption in Bolnisi Municipality.” The film showed nepotism and corruption in Bolnisi based on different facts. According to Studio Monitor, Davit Sherazadishvili, deputy prosecutor of the district, and Levan Lazareishvili, mayor of Bolnisi, were implicated in nepotism and corruption. There were many episodes where the applicant said the facts were not verified and the journalist did not have enough evidence to prove nepotism or corruption. The Charter Council decided that Principle 1 (on accuracy) was violated. Both the applicant and the respondent attended the hearing. 11. Bolnisi Mayor David Sherazadishvili vs Mari Dudunia, journalist at Studio Monitor The material in question was the same as in the previous case. Sherazadashvili too believed that the journalist shared unverified information with inadequate evidence and wrongfully accused him of corruption. The Charter Council decided that Principle 1 (on accuracy) was violated. Representative of the applicant and respondent attended the hearing. 12. Governor of village Kursebi Khatia Berodze vs Giorgi Suladze, journalist at interpresnews.ge The material in question was about citizens blocking the Kutaisi-Tkibuli road. They protested that previously their households were included in the village of Gelati and now they are included in village Kursebi, which led to problems with registration with the public register. The applicant argued that the journalist violated Principle 1 (on accuracy) by sharing incorrect information, because those households were always part of Kursebi village, and now they were just assigned addresses. The journalist provided

27

contradictory evidence; therefore, violation of the Principle 1 of the Charter was not proved. Both the applicant and the respondent attended the hearing. 13. Governor of village Kursebi Khatia Berodze vs TV Rustavi 2 The material was the same as in the case above. The applicant had similar arguments and contended that Principle 1 (on accuracy) was violated. The Council decided that the Charter’s principles were not violated. Only the applicant attended the hearing. The respondent did not attend the hearing or provide a response. 14. Company Fresco vs Mzia Sharashenidze, Osho Rukhadze, Natia Chikovani, hosts at TV Mesame The show in question was about employee rights. The hosts together with guests talked about difficult environments in which people have to work. The discussion was preceded by a video about the same topic. The video negatively talked about supermarket Fresco and criticized its treatment of employees. The applicant argued that the facts provided in the report about violation of employee rights were not true. The Council decided that Principle 1 (on accuracy) was violated in the report because a representative of Fresco was not provided with an opportunity to respond to the accusations and balance was distorted. The applicant attended the hearing. The host of the show answered the Council’s questions via phone. Cases 15-19 below center around a tragedy in Aghaian, where a mother was accused of murdering her seven month old child. Partnership for Human Rights made applications regarding seven different materials on this case. The applicant argued that these media outlets disseminated unverified information, shared private details in which the public had no interest, and did not protect the minor’s rights. One of the materials of Prime Time was also discriminatory based on gender, because it focused on gender roles in the upbringing of a child. The Council discussed cases without interviewing parties, through means of remote communication, and made the following decisions: 15. Partnership for Human Rights vs Tamta Dolenjashvili, journalist at TV Rustavi2 Show “Kurieri on Saturday,” material Consequences of Early Marriage violated Principle 1 (on accuracy), Principle 8 (on child’s interests), and Principle 10 (on privacy). 16. Partnership for Human Rights vs Giorgi Khukhia, journalist at TV Maestro Article titled “New details of murder of seven month old child” violated Principle 1 (on accuracy), Principle 8 (on child’s interests), and Principle 10 (on privacy). 17. Partnership for Human Rights vs Primetime.ge Material 1 titled “What do they say about 16 year old girl who strangled her seven month old child” violated Principle 7 (on discrimination), Principle 8 (on child’s interests), and Principle 10 (on privacy).

28

Material 2 titled “I wanted to hurt myself more than anything – what did a mother who strangled her child say” violated Principle 8 (on child’s interests). Material 3 titled “Acquaintances tell new details about mother of murdered infant in Aghaiani” violated Principle 8 (on child’s interests) and Principle 10 (on privacy). 18. Partnership for Human Rights vs Resonancedaily.com Material titled “I hate those who kill their own children – What did a girl accused of murdering her child write” violated Principle 8 (on child’s interests). 19. Partnership for Human Rights vs Plus.kvira.ge Material titled “I hate those who kill their own children – What did a girl accused in murdering her child write in social media” violated Principle 8 (on child’s interests). Mediation One case was mediated during the reporting period.

Public School N139 vs Radio Free Europe /Radio Liberty

The application concerned an article published by RFE/RL titled “In six months Georgian public schools called police 374 times.” The article was based on research, which described the period from September 17, 2018 to April of 2019, providing statistics on violations in public schools. It was mentioned that police intervention has increased in public schools during this period. The article was accompanied by a photo of N139 public school, with the police restriction line. According to the applicant, the photo was old and by using it with the article it created the impression that during the period of research N139 public school also needed police intervention. The applicant said that this was not true, and the information therefore violated Principle 1 of the Charter (on accuracy). After the Charter Council provided the statement to RFE/RL, they corrected the article – changed the photo and noted that the previous photo was not relevant to the article’s contents. The article was also deleted from RFE/RL’s Facebook page. With these corrections, the problem was solved and the Council did not discuss it anymore. The following cases were in the Charter’s pipeline by the end of reporting quarter Applicant Respondent Principles under question

1

Hospital of Ministry Defense Saba Tsitsikashvili (qartli.ge)

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), 4 (on using fair methods when collecting information), 5 (on correction), 11 (on distortion of facts)

29

2

Association Hera XXI

Magda Anikashvili, Tornike Kverenchkhiladze, Irakli Maisuradze (TV Maestro)

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing of facts), 4 (on using fair methods when collecting information), 7 (on discrimination)

3 Levan Kemoklidze Olga Babluani (TV Imedi)

1 (on accuracy), 9 (on separation of editorial and commercial material)

4

Khatuna Matsaberidze Malkhaz Mikeladze (qartli.ge)

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), 5 (on correction), 7 (on discrimination), 11 (on distortion of facts)

5 Ana Arganashvili Sopo Shaishmelashvili (Ajara TV)

7 (on discrimination), 8 (on children’s rights)

6 Gogi Gvakharia Nana Sulava (Alia.ge)

1 (on accuracy), 5 (on correction), 7 (on discrimination), 11 (on distortion of facts)

7 Mamuka Makharadze imedinews.ge

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), 11 (on distortion of facts)

8 Mikheil Meparishvili Eka Gulua (mcm.ge)

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), 7 (on discrimination), 10 (on privacy), 11 (on distortion of facts)

9 Mikheil Meparishvili Eka Gulua (mcm.ge)

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), 7 (on discrimination), 10 (on privacy), 11 (on distortion of facts)

10 Mikheil Meparishvili Eka Gulua (mcm.ge)

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), 7 (on discrimination), 10 (on privacy), 11 (on distortion of facts)

11 Mikheil Meparishvili Eka Gulua (mcm.ge)

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), 7 (on discrimination), 10 (on privacy), 11 (on distortion of facts)

12 Mikheil Meparishvili Eka Gulua (mcm.ge)

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), 7 (on discrimination), 10 (on privacy), 11 (on distortion of facts)

13 Mikheil Meparishvili Eka Gulua (mcm.ge)

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), 7 (on discrimination), 10 (on privacy), 11 (on distortion of facts)

14 Soviet Past Research Laboratory (SovLab)

Salome Labadze (Maestro TV)

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), 5 (on correction)

15 Lela Lobzhanidze Saba Tsitsikashvili (qartli.ge)

1 (on accuracy), 3 (on concealing facts), 5 (on correction)

30

Statements The Charter is at the frontline of defending the rights of journalists and advocating for a more conducive legal and operational environment for media. It remains one of the most active members of the Media Advocacy Coalition. In the reporting period, the Charter published 10 statements. Of these statements, three were published together with the Coalition for Media Advocacy, and seven were published independently. In one of the statements, issued together with the Coalition, the Charter voiced its opinion about impeachment of the director of Adjaran Public Broadcasting. The director of the Charter attended the meeting in Batumi on this case. In another statement, the Charter discussed the possible impact of the proposed changes to the Law on Broadcasting on the functioning of media’s self-regulatory mechanisms. The changes were initiated on the grounds of synchronizing national legislation with the European Audiovisual Directive. The changes allow applicants to appeal decisions made by the self-regulatory bodies at the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) or court. Independently, the Charter protested interference in the work of journalists from TV Odishi in Zugdidi, and their verbal and physical abuse; physical violence against a journalist from Radio Hereti in the building of Lagodekhi local assembly; and physical violence against a journalist from qartli.ge to prevent him from filming the site of a car accident. Through a statement, the Charter appealed to law enforcement authorities, urging them to protect journalists from aggressive participants at a homophobic rally. The Charter demanded proper and prompt investigation of physical violence against journalists during a rally against Russian occupation on June 21. The Charter gathered information about each injured journalist, 38 in total, and shared it with local and international communities. On June 21, it also organized a protest action in front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor’s Office with participation of media representatives. On the same day, an OSCE representative in media issues and Reporters Without Boarders issued a statement based on the information they received from the Charter. The Charter put injured journalists in touch with lawyers to accompany them to interviews in the prosecutor’s office and draft complaints. Journalists were interviewed and complaints are prepared by GYLA and Human Rights Center. Service to members Consultations for Journalists

During the reporting period, the Charter gave 10 consultations to journalists, representatives of the leading TV channels among them: TV Pirveli (1), TV Imedi (1), Rustavi2 (3), on.ge (3), accentnews.ge (1), and TV25 (1). The journalists needed advice on how to divide advertising and editorial content from each other according to standards, how to report on suicide, and whether to identify a child. Based on the recommendations from the Charter, RFE/RL, pia.ge and presa.ge corrected their materials. Training

31

In the reporting period the Charter conducted two trainings. On April 20-21, the Charter conducted a training on how to report on domestic violence. On the first day, the essence and forms of domestic violence and violence against women, legal framework of domestic violence in Georgia, and prevention mechanisms were covered by the trainer, Nino Chikhladze, a lawyer from GYLA. Nino Tarkhnishvili, journalist at RFE/RL, led the second day of the training. The participants discussed the main mistakes made by the journalists when reporting on domestic violence. The trainer talked about how a reporter can change the public’s attitudes towards domestic violence and how to select relevant respondents. Sixteen journalists participated in the training. Please see Appendix #3 and Appendix #4 for the agenda and list of participants, respectively. On June 1-2, the Charter conducted a training about how to report on suicide. The first day of the training was led by Sopho Tabaghua, a psychotherapist. Together with her, the participants discussed the emotional and physical conditions from which a person suffers before suicide. They talked about signs of suicide and prevention. On the second day, the participants held a professional discussion with Nestan Tsetskhadze, the editor of Netgazeti. They talked about dilemmas that journalists have while reporting on suicide. Nino Lomadze, editor of the magazine Indigo, shared her experience with the participants. She prepared material about people who survived their attempted suicides and won the Charter’s prize with this material in 2017. Fifteen journalists participated in the training, majority of them from regions. Please see Appendix #5 and Appendix #6 for the agenda and list of participants, respectively. Guidelines The Charter prepared three short videos based on the Charter’s guidelines on how to report on crime, how to report on violence against women, and what is a standard for correction. The videos are available from the following links: https://www.facebook.com/Georgiancharter/videos/vl.715658605557471/424163431767677/?type=1 https://www.facebook.com/Georgiancharter/videos/vl.715658605557471/689804871466487/?type=1 https://www.facebook.com/Georgiancharter/videos/vl.715658605557471/354105021968620/?type=1 The Charter will prepare more videos in the next quarter. Fostering Ethics Charter’s priorities During the reporting period the Charter engaged in the following additional activities:

• Improving media literacy knowledge and skills among youth. This is the focus of cooperation between the Ethics Charter and UNICEF this year. A series of two-day long seminars will be held for high school students in Tbilisi and the regions.

• The Charter published a guide for trainers in media literacy. It is an adapted version of a manual created by UNICEF’s Kosovo office.

• The Ethics Charter organized a conference called “The European Media Standards: Ethics and Responsibility” on May 2, with assistance and funding from the Delegation of the European

32

Union to Georgia. At the conference, Georgian and European experts discussed challenges faced by Georgian media.

• The Charter won a competition announced by the Civil Society Institute and developed the online course Journalism for Social Change.

• The Charter analyzed the amendments to the Law on Broadcasting initiated by the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) that would allow decisions by broadcasters’ self-regulatory bodies to be appealed at GNCC or in court, and for this purpose held meetings with MPs and broadcasters;

• The executive director of the Charter participated in the meetings and conferences organized by various local organizations;

• The executive director of the Charter participated in the conferences organized by the Council of Europe in Tbilisi and in Strasbourg; and

• The Charter created a guidebook on how to report on violent extremism in the frames of a project implemented with efforts of U.S. State Department and Global Engagement Center, in partnership with PH International Georgia Office and Georgian Center of Strategy and Development.

1.3.1 Data Journalism – Access, Analyze, Visualize This activity was completed in Y3. 1.3.2 New Media Initiative In the reporting quarter, traffic to the websites of RMSI partners increased across the board. Please see accompanying document containing data and commentary on individual media partners for more detailed information. M-TAG’s DCOP, Dachi Grdzelishvili, worked with media partners on a daily basis to resolve different problems in their web publishing processes. Web-site development and maintenance By the end of the reporting quarter, IREX subcontractor Goodweb, a web development company, completed the re-design of desktop and mobile versions of websites for seven M-TAG partners (livepress.ge, qartli.ge, Radio Atinati, Channel 9, TV Borjomi, Kutaisi Post, Radio Marneuli). After the program was updated, several partners reported different types of bugs in their dashboards. Grdzelishvili will assess the partners’ needs in the next quarter and pass the information to Goodweb, which will fix them through software solutions and by providing further training to M-TAG partners. In September, each of the seven partners will be able to visit Goodweb in Tbilisi for individual consulting and training. Sales, traffic management and analytics Nothing to report this quarter.

33

Multimedia content production for the web Please see information provided under 1.1 Journalists Provide Accurate and In-depth Reporting on Reform Agenda; 1.1.2 Production and editorial skills. Editorial management and technical support Please see information provided under 1.1 Journalists Provide Accurate and In-depth Reporting on Reform Agenda; 1.1.2 Production and editorial skills. Online TV/video production and technical consultations Grdzelishvili provided remote advice to M-TAG’s media partners on various technical issues almost daily. Please see information provided under 1.1 Journalists Provide Accurate and In-depth Reporting on Reform Agenda; 1.1.2 Production and editorial skills. Citizen Journalist Engagement (CJE) Nothing to report this quarter. Mobile Application IREX discontinued the application Geomobilenews. Since more and more media outlets in Georgia are making their content, including links, promos, live streams, and square short videos, available through Facebook and other social media, there is no longer a need for such applications. 1.4 Multimedia Education Center (MEC) Serves as a Professional and Independent Training Hub Cooperation with universities From April through June 2019, MEC served 238 individual students from four different Georgian universities, 143 of them female. Some of these students have enrolled in more than one class at the MEC, bringing the number of course participants up to 279. Each week MEC hosts up to 15 classes and meetings, including classes in TV journalism, radio production, documentary filmmaking, photography, TV talk show production, news reporting, and camera art. In April and May, students of San Diego State University (SDSU) maintained access to MEC. MEC’s contract with SDSU expired in June.

34

In April and May, classes continued at MEC. In June, MEC hosted fewer classes as the exam period approached. In June, students used MEC facilities and equipment to prepare for exams and work on final projects. Students of International Black Sea University (IBSU) ran a TV news studio at MEC for two days as a final project. The MA program of Georgian Institute of Public Affairs Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management (GIPA CSJMM) started its third summer semester at MEC, adding a few new classes to the schedule. Below is a detailed schedule of classes as of June 2019: I – Monday

13:00-15:00 Digital Storytelling by Nino Japiashvili GIPA CSJMM - MA I

15:00-19:00 TV Journalism by Tamara Mshvenieradze and Anna Davitashvili

IBSU Jour - BA II

II - Tuesday

10:00-12:00 Video Reporting by Nino Orjonikide GIPA CSJMM - MA I

12:00-15:00 Experimental Filmmaking by Nino Orjonikidze GIPA Media Art - BA II

16:00-19:00 Camera Art by Mamuka Muchiashvili GIPA Media Art - BA II

III - Wednesday

13:00-16:00 Audio Visual Production by Tiko Nachkebia GIPA Media Art - BA I

16:00-20:00 Interviewing by Rezi Tchichinadze TAFU Jour - BA III

IV - Thursday

10:30-12:30 Video Reporting by Nino Orjonikide GIPA CSJMM - MA I

13:00-16:00 Digital Storytelling by Nino Japiashvili GIPA CSJMM - MA I

16:00-20:00 Reporting by Rezi Tchitchinadze TAFU Jour – BA II

V - Friday

11:00-14:00 TV Journalism by Tamara Mshvenieradze and Anna Davitashvili

IBSU Jour - BA II

14:00-17:00 Short Filmmaking by Margo Zubiashvili GIPA Media Art - BA IV

Additional Space and Equipment Use by Students

35

SDSU. MEC was available to students for individual work every day, and for group meetings upon request.

Tbilisi Arts and Film University (TAFU) Diploma Students. MEC was available for individual meetings between students and lectures. Students working on their final projects had full access to MEC equipment upon request.

GIPA Media Art Diploma Students. MEC was available for individual meetings between students and lectures. Students working on their final projects had full access to MEC equipment upon request.

MEC hosted classes for BA and MA students from three different universities, enrolled in four different programs. Students of the fifth university (SDSU) did their homework at MEC. Below is detailed information on universities and programs benefiting from access to MEC:

• Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University: Journalism School (BA program) • International Black Sea University: Journalism School (BA Program) • Georgian Institute of Public Affairs: Journalism and Media Management (MA Program) • Georgian Institute of Public Affairs: Media Art (BA Program) • San Diego State University: School of Technology (BA Program)

Organizational development and fundraising:

New project opportunities In March, MEC, together with Sakdoc Film, worked on a concept for a project to be submitted to the U.S. Embassy to raise awareness on environmental issues though production of documentaries, photo stories, and discussions. The proposal is on hold for the time being due to lack of resources.

In June, MEC worked on a proposal to the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). ADA is looking for a partner who can provide them with the content and help in distributing it throughout Georgia’s regions. Negotiation is in progress. Georgian-Armenian partnership project Four Armenian media outlets and their four Georgian counterparts received their first tranches of small content production grants. Earlier, in February and March, media outlets from Armenia received grants in the amount of $3,000 each, and media outlets from Georgia received grants in the amount of $1,000 each. The journalists conducted research and shot video in Armenia. In June, several Armenian journalists travelled to Georgia to film segments for their stories. MEC expects first drafts for review and feedback by the end of July. The following journalists from Georgia and Armenia participated in the project:

36

Aravot (Armenia): Lusine Budaghyan and Luiza Suqiasyan 4PLUS (Armenia): Anahit Hayrapetyan and Nelli Shishmanyan Lragir (Armenia): Naira Hayrumyan and Musheg Gagrian Hetq (Armenia): Kristine Aghalaryan and Ani Sargsyan Kutaisi Post (Georgia): Ana Janashia Batumelebi (Georgia): Tamar Nergadze JNews (Georgia): Aghunik Ayvazyan Samkhretis Karibche (Georgia): Tako Peikrishvili Currently the participants are working on the following projects: Lragir (Armenia) and Kutaisi Post (Georgia): The partners will produce a multimedia story to describe how ethnic minorities live in Georgia and in Armenia. On the example of families from different cities, a multimedia project will discuss government policies, how integrated and secure they feel, if they are aware of their rights, which problems they face in daily life, what are their living conditions, and how people from ethnic minority communities see their future in the countries they live in. Aravot (Armenia) and Samkhretis Karibche (Georgia): Many children with special needs are denied access to education. To bring this issue to the attention of the public, the partners will work on a multimedia project that will reflect the situation in Armenia and Georgia. 4PLUS (Armenia) and Batumelebi (Georgia): Women living in remote villages are not allowed to make decisions, to receive education, and to live the life they want to live. They face a lot of invisible barriers in pursuit of their dreams. The partners will work on a multimedia project to tell stories of women and girls from Armenia and Georgia. Hetq (Armenia) and JNews (Georgia): The partners will work on a multimedia project about Armenian citizens serving prison terms in Georgia and Georgian citizens serving prison terms in Armenia. At the end of September 2019, participants will gather in Tbilisi to present their stories at MEC. In October, all stories will be published on the Armenian and Georgian media platforms. Grant from the U.S. Embassy MEC completed its U.S. Embassy-funded project "16 Women for Change" that enabled young female documentary filmmakers to master production skills. The project trailer is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn01Zb3gJQA Video profiles of nine filmmakers, made by MEC, are available at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWDD-qP95_U3_B9tYFBU82mWZ4ClEKMPj

37

On May 6, all 16 documentaries were screened in Batumi Apolo Theatre. Local NGOs, media, youth, and filmmakers attended the screening. The event was covered by Adjara TV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdod0egwBbs One of the films, a documentary called “Fear of the Past” by Mariam Nikolaishvili, was screened at Cinedoc Tbilisi Festival in May. Three participants, Natia Sharmiashvili, Keti Kapanadze and Ana Kvichidze, were awarded $1,000 to work on new films. Other partnerships To generate commercial income, the MEC has worked with several organizations interested in its services:

April 2019

o April 8-12: Czech Republic-based organization People in Need conducted a workshop for journalists from Eastern Europe in MEC’s classroom space.

o April 17: SDSU held a meeting with students in the MEC’s newsroom space. o April 17: Family members of U.S. senators visited MEC to meet with participants of United

Nations Association of Georgia’s (UNAG) USAID-funded project, 20 youngsters from the Kvemo Kartli region.

o April 25: MEC hosted a meeting with Sarita Vanka, professional staff member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, with organizations that work to address problems of disinformation. The meeting was organized by USAID and the U.S. Embassy.

May 2019

o May 8-11: U.S. Agency for Global Media conducted a workshop on digital storytelling for 15 Georgian journalists from TV and digital media. MEC provided not only space, but also equipment and helped with planning.

o CineDoc Tbilisi, the biggest international documentary film festival hosted by Georgia, http://www.cinedoc-tbilisi.com/ with which MEC has partnered since 2018, conducted two events at MEC:

• May 10: Director Ineke Smits conducted a workshop for Georgian filmmakers. • May 11: Cinedoc Tbilisi organized pitching for Caucasus Talents. Creative Europe

presented their plans and reviewed funding opportunities. Eight films from MEC’s project “16 Women for Change were screened”.

June 2019

38

o June 4: The President of SDSU, Adela de la Torre, visited MEC. She met with SDSU students and with the dean of SDSU Georgia in MEC’s newsroom space. MEC provided them with a high quality sound recording. The podcast was sent to the university afterwards.

o June 8-9: The Ethics Charter, together with UNICEF Georgia, conducted training for youth on disinformation. MEC provided training participants with laptops.

Generating training courses in MEC The MEC director together with its technical manager has developed a six-day intensive training course in video shooting and editing. The course costs GEL 300 (approx. $110). In the reporting quarter, MEC trained one PR professional through this course. 1.5 Georgian Media improve Content on Gender and Minority Issues This activity was completed in December 2018. Objective 2: Regional Media Outlets Demonstrate Improved Financial Viability and Transparency 2.1 Targeted Business and Management Technical Assistance as Part of MSPs Innova worked with seven RMSI partners, providing consultancies and coaching, assisting in recruitment and training of new staff members, collecting/processing data for follow-up work, assessing and analyzing annual performance indicators, and planning and preparing to address the identified needs of RMSI partners. The seven RMSI partners were: livepress.ge (Zugdidi); qartli.ge (Gori); Kutaisi Post (Kutaisi); Radio Marneuli (Marneuli); JNews (Akhalkalaki); Channel 9 (Akhatsikhe); TV Borjomi (Borjomi). A detailed description of activities carried out is provided below. Assistance in sales: Kutaisi Post, livepress.ge, Radio Marneuli and qartli.ge Consultant assisting the media organizations: Maka Kakulia Summary of activities: Continuous assistance in sales management provided to Kutaisi Post, livepress.ge, Radio Marneuli and qartli.ge

39

April 2019: The assistance and coordination in sales provided to partners evolved to a new level after the consultant and media organizations started to use the content resource management (CRM) electronic platform Bitrix24 for communication, data gathering, and sharing information and experience.

Description of technical assistance provided: Following the recruitment of sales agents and group training during the fourth quarter of 2018, the consultants started to provide sales assistance to a select group of RMSI partners using the new system. Maka Kakulia started to remotely manage and supervise the day-to-day activities of the sales agents and the sales processes. In the middle of April 2019, Radio Marneuli joined the group consisting of qartli.ge, livepress.ge, and Kutaisi Post. The next step was the introduction and implementation of the electronic freeware platform Bitrix24. The CRM platform provides the functionality to register all actions undertaken by sales agents starting with client introduction and ending with post-sales activities. It allows supervisors to observe performance of the sales agents in real-time and provide them with relevant guidance. On May 8, Maya Shishniashvili and Maka Kakulia taught sales agents from livepress.ge, Kutaisi Post, and Radio Marneuli how to use Bitrix24. Please see Appendix #7 and Appendix #8 for the list of participants and agenda, respectively. They trained sales agents of qartli.ge separately. The first reports generated by Bitrix24 showed that the practice was successful as the commercial income started to grow. The system safeguards institutional memory of RMSI partners in case the sales agents leave the organization. It also enables sales agents of different RMSI partners to communicate and share experience for cross selling and joint selling. Innova consultants aided the media partners in standardization of business proposals and helped them develop joint proposals. More RMSI partners will join the group in Y6. Assistance with introducing a double-entry accounting system: qartli.ge, livepress.ge, TV Borjomi, and Channel 9 Consultant assisting the media organizations: Vakhtang Kelbakiani Summary of activities: Introduction of a double-entry accounting system in Excel, developed for use by media organizations and implemented by qartli.ge, livepress.ge, TV Borjomi, and Channel 9 April 2019: The consultants from Innova developed a macros-based accounting system in Excel

and introduced it to qartli.ge, livepress.ge, TV Borjomi, and Channel 9. Description of technical assistance provided: Beginning in April 2019, Vakhtang Kelbakiani worked to construct an accounting system based on Microsoft Excel. The major requirements for the system were that it should be simple, user friendly, tailored to the needs of media organizations, and based on the principle of double-entry transactions. The accounting system should have capacity to support a media organization with a turnover of up to $100,000 a year. The consultant interacted with RMSI partners to understand their needs and amended the functionality of the system accordingly. The final version of the accounting system incorporates the

40

functionality of accounting, system setup, logging, reporting, and tutorials. Innova consultants have trained accountants of qartli.ge, livepress.ge, TV Borjomi, and Channel 9 in Tbilisi and on-site, and has provided them with online support. At this point, qartli.ge, livepress.ge, TV Borjomi and Channel 9 use the accounting tool developed by Innova. They are working to transfer historical financial data to the system. Other RMSI partners will join the group in Y6. Assistance in preparing policies and procedures for RMSI partners Consultants assisting the media organizations: Natia Gviniashvilli and Zurab Chikovani Summary of activities: development and introduction of policies and procedures to RMSI partners that will help them to increase organizational efficiency and transparency May 2019: Consultants from Innova expanded the following policies and procedures: 1)

Bookkeeping and referencing policy; 2) Petty cash policy 3) Travel logistics and accommodation policy 4) Procurement policy. More policies and procedures will be developed in July 2019.

Description of technical assistance provided: Beginning in April 2019, Zurab Chikovani and Natia Gviniashvilli worked to construct policies and procedures for RMSI partners. The major requirements were that they should be tailored to the needs of media organizations, be simple, support efficiency and transparency, and be flexible enough to allow adaptation. Consultants from Innova drafted four documents: 1) bookkeeping and referencing policy; 2) petty cash policy; 3) travel logistics and accommodation policy; and 4) procurement policy. The documents were presented and discussed with the IREX team along with RMSI partners. After thorough examination, the corresponding adjustments and amendments were made. As a next step, IREX passed the sample policies to qartli.ge, livepress.ge, Kutaisi Post, TV Borjomi, and Channel 9 for adaptation and use. In July, consultants from Innova will assist RMSI partners with finetuning the policies and procedures to the size and needs of their organizations. Other Activities: Radio Marneuli: The consultants continued to work with Radio Marneuli. On April 15, Maka Kakulia assisted Kamila Mamedova with the selection of sales agents. On May 10, consultants Natia Gviniashvili and Zurab Chikovani met with the radio station’s management and provided advice on optimization of organizational structure and employment contracts. At the request of Kamila Mamedova, the consultants prepared the documents needed to introduce changes in the structure of the organization’s board and management. On May 23, Maya Shishniashvili provided Radio Marneuli with a sample contract to be used for sales agents. JNews: At the request of the management of JNews, on May 7, Innova consultant Vakhtang Kelbakiani assisted Rima Gharibian with preparation of financial analysis along with the financial reports. On June 20, Maka Kakulia assisted management of JNews with the selection of sales agents.

41

2.2 Development and Use of Audience Research for Revenue Generation The activity has been completed. 2.3 Business Innovation Grants IREX will not pursue this activity. 2.4 Digital Switchover Assistance IREX M-TAG completed this activity in Y1. Objective 3: Access to balanced and relevant information increased in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. 3.1: Safety training IREX completed this activity. 3.2 Content Production & Equipment Subgrants; Associated Training Tamar Rukhadze and Dachi Grdzelishvili traveled to Zugdidi to support media partners located there with reporting on mayoral elections scheduled for May 19. Dachi Grdzelishvili worked with Radio Atinati and Tamar Rukhadze worked with livepress.ge. Both media outlets provided comprehensive coverage of elections to their audiences, in the form of live updates, adding information to the live blog as it was coming in and using posters and infographics to visualize incoming data. On May 23-29, Tamar Rukhadze worked with Radio Atinati in Zugdidi. Rukhadze focused on news reporting in the post-election period, including feature stories and short videos for Facebook. The journalists received guidance on every step of the production process – from planning to publishing. Rukhadze worked with reporters of Radio Atinati in the field, assisting them with shooting and interviewing. She also helped them with writing and editing. An experienced journalism trainer, Zviad Koridze, continued to work with the team of qartli.ge in Gori on editorial and production skills. In this reporting period Koridze provided 16 days of training to the team of qartli.ge. Koridze worked with Giorgi Akhalkatsi, a talk-show host who joined qartli.ge a few months ago. He provided Akhalkatsi with feedback on previously produced shows and helped to plan new episodes. Koridze helped Saba Tsitsikashvili plan articles and video stories to be produced around Easter time. Reports from the villages along the demarcation line were especially important because the population living there did not know if they would be allowed to visit the graves of their family members in the Ossetian-controlled territory. Tsitsikashvili got in touch with respondents in these villages. Koridze helped qartli.ge plan coverage of the May 26th Independence Day celebrations. He discussed the important role human-interest stories play in increasing audience interest. Koridze helped qartli.ge to plan their reporting on the anniversary of the August war.

42

Both qartli.ge and Radio Atinati received annual evaluation letters with recommendations from Tamar Rukhadze. The letters noted progress made by the partners during the last year and pointed to the areas which require further improvement. Qartli.ge and livepress.ge are among M-TAG’s four partners who receive assistance in sales under the new model, with an Innova consultant acting as a sales director for their agents. The Innova consultant monitors their activity and performance, while also managing the sales processes, and providing the necessary guidance and direction to the sales agents. This quarter, freeware platform Bitrix24 was introduced. The platform provides the functionality to register all actions undertaken by sales agents starting client introduction and ending with post-sale activities, making the process more efficient. The platform allows supervisors to observe performance of the sales agents in real-time. The system safeguards institutional memory of the organization’s sales, in case the sales agents leave. In the reporting quarter, Innova developed a double-entry, macros-based accounting system in Excel, and introduced it to qartli.ge and livepress.ge. Innova also introduced the outlets to four sample policies, on bookkeeping and referencing, petty cash, travel logistics and accommodation, and procurement for their adaptation and use. 3.2.1 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Tbilisi Bureau IREX completed this activity. 3.2.2 Radio Atinati

IREX supported Radio Atinati to produce a Russian language program called Common Ground (Точки Соприкосновения), hosted by Maia Pipia. The radio program airs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 16:16. The program duration is 12 to 15 minutes, and there are different formats for each edition during the week. One program per week is prepared by journalists from Radio Atinati and Abkhazian Radio Soma. Once a week, Radio Atinati broadcasts a review of materials published in Abkhazian media. It also hosts discussions about Abkhaz and Georgian culture and traditions. The program is available on the radio station’s website and live through the internet. All programs are uploaded to the Radio Atinati website and social media. In this reporting period, Atinati prepared 39 radio programs: In April: review of press – 5, culture and traditions – 4, talk-show – 4, 13 in total. In May: review of press – 4, culture and traditions – 5, talk-show – 5, 14 in total. In June: review of press – 4, culture and traditions – 4, talk-show – 4, 12 in total. In addition, Radio Atinati received the following four photo reports from Abkhazia:

1. Film festival in Sokhumi http://www.radioatinati.ge/gadacemebi/2019-02-13-14-07-10/article/68320-2019-04-12-13-50-29.html

43

2. Fire in public school #2 in Sokhumi http://www.radioatinati.ge/gadacemebi/2019-02-13-14-07-10/article/68722-2019-05-10-14-59-36.html

3. Exhibition of Arkhip Labakhua http://www.radioatinati.ge/gadacemebi/2019-02-13-14-07-10/article/69209-2019-06-29-12-07-59.html

4. Concert by students of Sokhumi cultural school http://www.radioatinati.ge/gadacemebi/2019-02-13-14-07-10/article/69409-2019-06-30-18-38-06.html Throughout this reporting period, Radio Atinati worked on topics that were identified as problematic by Abkhaz colleagues both for Abkhaz and Georgian sides. Those topics include the following: Elections in Sokhumi and protest of opposition http://www.radioatinati.ge/gadacemebi/2019-02-13-14-07-10/article/69028-2019-06-12-18-08-54.html Fire in one of the most prestigious school of Sokhumi, public school #2 http://www.radioatinati.ge/gadacemebi/2019-02-13-14-07-10/article/68722-2019-05-10-14-59-36.html Environmental issue – contamination of the sea http://www.radioatinati.ge/gadacemebi/2019-02-13-14-07-10/article/69276-2019-07-09-18-00-05.html Social issue – needs of children with disabilities http://www.radioatinati.ge/gadacemebi/2019-02-13-14-07-10/article/69473-2019-07-09-17-45-56.html According to Google Analytics, the number of unique visitors to the radio station’s web page for this reporting period totaled 120,679 (it was 161,589 in the previous quarter). There were 5,378 sessions from IP addresses registered in Russia (there were 8,528 in the previous quarter). On June 30, Radio Atinati completed implementation of a 12-month long subgrant in the amount of $26,187.76. In those 12 months, Radio Atinati produced 156 radio programs and published 18 photo reports received from Abkhazia. Please see Appendix #9 for links to the content produced by Radio Atinati. 3.2.3 Livepress.ge IREX supports livepress.ge to produce reliable and linguistically relevant information and talk shows for the residents of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and Abkhazia regions. Livepress.ge produces two talk-shows monthly, one in discussion format and the other as an interview. In this reporting period, livepress.ge prepared and published 141 media products: 17 analytical articles, 37 video reports, and 87 pieces in text and multimedia formats, on public issues, culture, and sports. Of those, 44 pieces of text and multimedia formats and 10 analytical articles were translated in Russian, and 20 pieces of text and multimedia formats and 10 analytical articles were translated in Abkhazian.

44

Livepress.ge prepared the following six talk shows during the reporting period: April 1. The talk-show discusses challenges faced by parents of children with autistic spectrum disorder https://www.livepress.ge/ka/studia/article/28096-ckhovreba-autizmith.html 2. The talk-show discusses what needs to be done to strengthen farmers https://www.livepress.ge/ka/studia/article/28394-rogor-gavadzlieroth-soflad-fermerebi.html May 1. The talk-show discusses what needs to be done to support tourism https://www.livepress.ge/ka/studia/article/28698-turizmis-ganvitharebis-khelshetsyoba.html 2. The talk-show discusses re-integration of former prisoners into society https://www.livepress.ge/ka/studia/article/29141-akhali-ckhovreba-thavisuflebis-shemdeg.html 3. June 1. The talk-show discusses Georgia’s European aspirations – why we chose Europe https://www.livepress.ge/ka/studia/article/29349-ratom-virchevth-evropas.html 2. The talk-show discusses what needs to be done to ensure good harvest of hazelnuts https://www.livepress.ge/ka/studia/article/29412-rogor-mivighoth-thkhilis-kargi-mosavali.html Many materials published by livepress.ge generated a lot of interest on both sides of the administrative boundary line. In April, livepress.ge reported about Neno Gabelia, a 28 year-old woman from Gali who currently serves as a Young Ambassador of Georgia to Italy and whose mandate is to raise awareness on Georgia in Italy. She has a PhD in political science, and her research regarding conflict in Abkhazia is listed as a learning resource in the course syllabi of several universities in Europe. This success story was actively shared on social networks in Abkhazia. For the interview in Georgian please follow the link: https://www.livepress.ge/ka/komentari/article/28408-galeli-neno-gabelias-istoria-romlis-kvleva-evropis-universitetebshi-istsavleba.html. The interview with Zurab Shengelia, the head of the Research Center on Georgian-Abkhazian Relations, which livepress.ge published in June, captured the attention of the same audience. Several years ago, the Center, which is part of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, together with Georgian National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Georgian-Abkhazian relations, launched a program “Learning more about Abkhazia.” The goal of the program is to describe the Abkhazian ethno-cultural space for the purposes of maintaining and developing it, as well as to popularize it. Several projects were implemented as part of this program. Most recently, a documentary film was made, which is one of the first joint Georgian and Abkhazian productions. This interview was liked and shared many times, both in the Russian and in the Abkhaz translations. For the interview in Georgian please follow the link: https://www.livepress.ge/ka/komentari/article/29353-anikha-afkhazebma-da-qarthvelebma-dokumenturi-filmi-gadaighes.html. Livepress.ge was the first to report about the Abkhazian side temporarily restricting movement from Abkhazia to the rest of Georgia through the Enguri bridge. The material generated a lot of comments on

45

social networks and forums. For the article please follow the link: https://www.livepress.ge/ka/akhali-ambebi/article/29581-enguris-khidi-chaiketa.html. The readers enjoyed the story of an amateur cyclist, 39 years-old Alexandre Gegechkori, who cycled from Tbilisi to his home village of Urta in Zugdidi municipality. He covered 400 km in 25 hours. Gegechkori is the first Georgian who will participate in the famous long-distance cycling event Paris-Brest-Paris. Livepress.ge was the first to feature Gegechkori and readers received the material with particular appreciation. For the material please follow the link: https://www.livepress.ge/ka/sporti/article/29146-msoflio-rbolamde-aleqsandre-gegetckori-thbilisidan-zugdidshi-velosipedith-chamovida-video-.html. After livepress.ge reported that plants in public squares and gardens in Zugdidi withered due to neglect, the mayor’s office started to irrigate them and replaced damaged plants with new ones. Users of social networks actively discussed the problem. For the material please follow the link: https://www.livepress.ge/ka/video/article/29309-gamkhmari-mcenareebi-zgugdidis-skverebsa-da-baghebshi-video-.html. According to Google analytics, the number of unique visitors to livepress.ge this quarter was 135,126 (it was 175,780 in the previous quarter). There were 10,142 sessions from IP addresses registered in Russia (there were 10,763 in the previous quarter). On June 30, livepress.ge completed implementation of a 12-month long subgrant in the amount of $45,024. In those 12 months, livepress.ge prepared and published 557 media products: 57 analytical articles, 145 video reports, and 355 news in text and multimedia formats, reporting on public issues, culture, and sports. 209 news in text and multimedia format and 36 analytical articles were translated in Russian. 149 news in text and multimedia format and 26 analytical articles were translated in Abkhaz. In addition, livepress.ge prepared 24 talk shows. Please see Appendix #10 for links to the content produced by livepress.ge. 3.2.4 Qartli.ge IREX supports qartli.ge to produce reliable and linguistically relevant content and talk shows for residents of Kvemo Qartli region, including occupied territories of South Ossetia. Qartli.ge produces two talk shows monthly, one in a discussion format and another as an interview. In the reporting period, qartli.ge produced 155 media products through its grant. Out of these 87 were written articles and 68 were multimedia pieces. Of those, 31 written articles and 22 multimedia pieces were translated in Russian, and 30 written articles and 26 multimedia pieces were translated in Ossetian. In the reporting period qartli.ge produced the following 13 talk-shows: April

46

1. The talk-show hosted Mayor of Gori and chair of Georgian-Polish Society to discuss links between Gori and its sister cities in Poland

https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11126--qarthlis-studia-gorisa-da-polonethis-urthierthoba 2. The talk-show discusses road safety regulations and if they are compatible with the European

standards https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11225--qarthlis-studia-sagzao-regulaciebi-gorshi

3. The talk-show discusses food safety standards in Shida Qartli region https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11296--qarthlis-studia-sursathis-uvnebloba-shida-qarthlshi

4. The talk-show discusses challenges faced by persons with disabilities living in Gori municipality https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11350--qarthlis-studia-shshm-pirebis-gamotsvevebi-goris-municipalitetshi May

1. Guests of the talk show talk about how to recognize Kremlin propaganda https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11426--qarthlis-studia-rogor-gamovicnoth-rusuli-propaganda

2. The talk-show discusses Georgia’s visa free regime with the Europe and if it is endangered by the number of Georgians traveling

https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11587--qarthlis-studia-evropashi-saqarthvelodan-tsasvlis-msurveltha-raodenobis-zrda

3. The talk-show discusses prospects of tourism in Gori https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11615--qarthlis-studia-turizmis-ganvithareba-gorshi-sadac-yvelaze-meti-stumari-rusethidan-chamodis

4. The talk-show discusses problems faced by eco-migrants re-settled in Dzama gorge https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11622--qarthlis-studia-atcarlebi-dzamas-kheobashi

5. The talk-show discusses impact of Russian language media sources on ethnic minorities https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11631--qarthlis-studia-rusuli-arkhebis-gavlena-ethnikur-umciresobebshi June

1. The talk-show discusses welfare programs in Shida Kartli https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11783--qarthlis-studia-socialuri-politika-shida-qarthlshi

2. The talk-show discusses Georgian-Ossetian relations https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11826--qarthlis-studia-qarthul-osuri-urthierthobebi

3. The talk-show talks about the protest against occupation through regional fashion show https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11867--qarthlis-studia-kultura-okupaciis-tsinaaghmdeg

4. The talk-show discusses how learning English helps journalists from regional media to access international news sources

https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11902-qarthlis-studia-regionuli-mediis-khelmisatsvdomoba-uckhoenovan-tsyaroebthan

5. The talk-show discusses land registration and villages left without inhabitants https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11915-qarthlis-studia-mitsis-registracia-da-dacarielebuli-soflebi

47

Many reports prepared by qartli.ge in this quarter have attracted attention from the national media. Qartli.ge was the first to report about a police car crashing on a highway near Gori. Police wanted to conceal the accident, and policemen physically assaulted qartli.ge’s editor, Saba Tsitsikashvili, to prevent him from filming. Tsitsikashvili still managed to take a photo, which forced the police to admit the accident. The police alleged that the car crashed after it got hijacked by a teenager in police custody whom policemen left alone in the car for a short period of time. For the information about this accident please follow the link: https://www.qartli.ge/ge/akhali-ambebi/article/11706-gorthan-policiis-manqana-amotrialda-zhurnalists-fizikuri-sheurackhyofa-miayenes. Rustavi2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR5Wsh8pQ_A ), TV Imedi, Adjaran Public Broadcaster (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG2lZ8ged_c), and TV Pirveli ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Lb0z42-yM) all reported on the accident referring to qartli.ge as the source. They also noted that policemen interfered in the work of the journalist and physically assaulted him. Tsitsikashvili filed a complaint requesting that the policemen be prosecuted for interfering in journalist’s work. Qartli.ge was the first outlet to talk about the problems faced by eco migrants from Adjara. These migrants have re-settled in Dzama Gorge in houses abandoned by Ossetians during Georgia’s civil war in the 1990s. The community is shrinking, as they no longer have access to pastures and are not able to sustain themselves through cattle breeding. Members of the community believe that the land is now in the hands of clergy. Please follow the link to the talk-show discussing this topic https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11622--qarthlis-studia-atcarlebi-dzamas-kheobashi. The vice-mayor of Kareli spoke about eco migrants from Adjara facing discrimination in another talk – show hosted by qartli.ge. For the extract from the talk-show where the vice-mayor of Kareli made this comment please follow the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdBiujcPDIw&t=28s To watch the talk-show in full please follow the link: https://www.qartli.ge/ge/gadacemebi/article/11915-qarthlis-studia-mitsis-registracia-da-dacarielebuli-soflebi. Adjaran Public Broadcaster and Batumi-based TV25 picked up the topic. The Mayor of Kareli, in the interview to the Adjaran Public Broadcaster, denied that eco migrants are discriminated against. Please follow the links for the stories: https://ajaratv.ge/article/45406 and http://tv25.ge/news.php?id=13797&lang=ge. As a result of this coverage, the vice mayor of Kareli resigned, and the Ministry of Interior has launched an investigation to see if Adjarans living in Dzama Gorge have been subject to persecution on the grounds of faith/beliefs or any other reason. The number of unique visitors to the website of qartli.ge this quarter totaled 185,767 (it was 172,596 in the previous quarter). There were 5,860 sessions from IP addresses registered in Russia (there were 5,785 in the previous quarter). On June 30, qartli.ge completed the implementation of a 12-month long subgrant in the amount of $36,000. In those 12 months, qartli.ge prepared and published: 563 media products out of which 371 were written articles and 192 were multimedia pieces. 175 written articles and 52 multimedia pieces

48

were translated in Russian and 179 written articles and 58 multimedia pieces were translated in Ossetian. In addition, qartli.ge has prepared 24 talk-shows. Please see Appendix #11 for the links to the content produced by qartli.ge. 3.2.5 Equipment Grants This activity was completed in Y4.