Georgian outlets accuse pro-government TV of smear campaign
A group of independent Georgian online media outlets has accused the pro-government television channel Imedi and the authorities of orchestrating a coordinated campaign against alternative viewpoints. The outlets are demanding a retraction of claims aired on Imedi, which labeled them “agents” and “anti-Georgian publications,” News.Az reports, citing Georgian media.
“Georgia’s political environment has never been tolerant of journalists who uphold free and professional standards, but what Georgian Dream and its associated propaganda machine have been doing recently goes beyond any legal or ethical boundaries,” 22 independent online media organizations said in a joint statement.
The outlets argue that the report was broadcast at the request of the ruling party, which they say is attempting to suppress public expression of alternative opinions and obstruct independent journalistic work.
The report, aired on 23 November as part of Imedi’s flagship analytical program Imedis Kvira (“Imedi Week”), featured numerous allegations against the online media platforms. These included claims that they engage in the “systematic dissemination of disinformation,” operate according to a “single plan developed by external forces,” and seek to obtain funding in violation of the law.
The program singled out 22 media platforms, including OC Media, which is behind the crowdfunding campaign “The Light Must Stay On,” launched in August following the ruling party’s adoption of laws restricting foreign funding for the media.
In his introduction to the report, the program’s host, Irakli Chikhladze, described these outlets as “an anti-Georgian network operating under the guise of media and serving foreign intelligence services against Georgia.”
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