DW Akademie in Georgia

Television and online offerings are the most widely used information sources for both the Georgian-speaking population and minority groups with little knowledge of the official language, However, most local stations have few financial resources or qualified journalists. Daily propaganda and disinformation in the South Caucasus also affect the work of the media and the quality of information available to the public. 

Challenges have increased since May 2024 when the Georgian government passed the “transparency of foreign influence” law. It goes into effect in September 2024 and will require media outlets and non-governmental organizations to register as “foreign agents” if more than 20% of their financing comes from abroad. The law has shaken people’s trust in the media and could lead to  restrictions on freedom of the press and freedom of expression. 

In response, DW Akademie’s projects support independent and quality reporting to promote a diverse media landscape and informed public opinion.  

Our activities

In a project funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), DW Akademie is working with approximately 20 journalists from local media organizations to improve services for regional and linguistic minorities. 

Click here for our latest evaluation report for Georgia.

The journalists work for the media outlets Chai Khana, Channel 9, Network of Information Centers (NIC), Qartli.ge and Radio Marneuli. For its part, the Georgian Insitute of Public Affairs (GIPA) helps graduates of journalism and media management studies to get a start in their career, this way boosting the next generation of media professionals. 

To fight propaganda and disinformation, a third project is developing centers of excellence for fact-checking and verification. The Media Development Foundation (MDF) is training more than 90 young people from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine to uncover and report on propaganda and disinformation. 

A project financed by the European Union is based on concerns that Georgia’s media landscape is becoming more polarized and that future stress tests, such as the 2024 parliamentary elections, could pose a threat to the country’s state of democracy. As part of the project, the consortium partner Human Rights Center (HRC) is researching legal parameters for the media and representing media professionals in court.

As a second partner, the Media Development Foundation (MDF) is organizing events on Media and Information Literacy (MIL). These include hackathons, combining and adapting existing MIL lesson plans to current needs, and organizing role-playing games about media regulation. With the help of grants, eight media organizations can implement a series of articles and research projects.

 
Funding: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

Program Director: Katrin Wehry

Locations: Tbilisi and rural provinces throughout​​ Georgia

Local partners:  Georgia Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA), Media Development Foundation ,Human Rights Center 

Focus: Professionalization, media and journalism education, civic participation, local media, community media, media and information literacy (MIL), creating networks