FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY OF MEDIA - 2023
The following report reflects the 2023 data on the financial transparency of Georgian media. The research, conducted annually by the Media Development Foundation (MDF), is based on the analysis of revenues declared by broadcasting media as required by law, as well as the practice of allocating budgetary funds for disseminating information and advertising in the media.
The data is based on the information retrieved from the State Procurement Agency, as well as additional information requested from state agencies, and, in some cases, on the content analysis of individual media outlets for the purpose of evaluating their editorial policy.
The report begins with an overview of the main findings of the study. The first section covers the financial revenues of broadcasters, which they are legally obligated to declare. The second section examines the allocation of public contracts for advertising and information dissemination across different types of media—television, radio, online, print, and social media. A separate chapter focuses on the expenditure of public funds on social media, including contracts requiring specific media outlets to publish materials in various Facebook groups and pages. The final section provides information on media outlets engaged in editorial practices involving hate speech and anti-Western narratives, which received public advertising funds. It also highlights outlets with a pro-government editorial stance that frequently participate in coordinated campaigns discrediting government opponents and Western actors.
The following report was prepared within the framework of the project "Quality Media and Conscious Media Consumption for Resilient Society (ConMeCo)”, which is implemented by the Deutsche Welle Akademie in cooperation with the Media Development Foundation and the Human Rights Center.
Authors: NINO GELASHVILI, MARIAM PATARIDZE
Editors: TAMAR KINTSURASHVILI, MARIAM PATARIDZE
Figures: MARIAM TSUTSKIRIDZE
Design: BESIK DANELIA, IBDESIGN
Cover Photo: Shutterstock, MICHAIL PETROV
Link: FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY OF MEDIA - 2023
Financial Transparency of Media 2022
The Media Development Foundation (MDF) has been researching the issue of financial transparency of the Georgian media environment for years now. The following report reflects the data of 2022 and is based on the analysis of the revenues declared by media broadcasters as demanded by the law and the practice of allocating budgetary funds for advertising and dissemination of information.
The data is based on the information retrieved from the State Procurement Agency, as well as additional information requested from state agencies, and, in some cases, on the content analysis of individual media outlets for the purpose of evaluating their editorial policy.
The main findings of the report are summarized in the introduction; The first part dealsA with the financial revenues of broadcasters, which broadcasters are obliged to declare based on the legislation. The second part of the study deals with the practice of allocating budgetary contracts for the purpose of advertising and information dissemination is divided according to different types of media – TV broadcasters, radio, online media, print, and social. A separate chapter is devoted to the spending of budgetary funds on social media, including contracts by which individual media were obliged to post materials on various Facebook groups and pages. The last part of the research provides information about media prone to hate speech and anti-Western editorial policy, which were contracted by budgetary organizations for advertising services. The last part also deals with media outlets that pursue pro-government editorial policy and are often involved in discrediting campaigns against the opponents of the government in a coordinated manner.
The following report was prepared within the framework of the project “Quality Media and Conscious Media Consumption for Resilient Society (ConMeCo)”, which is implemented by the Deutsche Welle Akademie in cooperation with the Media Development Foundation and the Human Rights Center.
Authors: Mariam Jikia, Mariam Pataridze, Arabella Kordzakhia
Editors: Mariam Pataridze, Tamar Kintsurashvili
Diagrams: Mariam Tsutskiridze
Link: Financial Transparency of Media 2022
The Practice of Allocating Budgetary Funds for Advertising and Dissemination of Information in Media - 2021
The following report reflects the 2021 practice of allocating budgetary funds for the purpose of advertising and dissemination of information in media and is based on publicly available data of the State Procurement Agency, and, in selected cases, additional information requested from public agencies. To illustrate the editorial policies of media outlets that received budgetary contracts, the study also includes individual examples of media coverage.
The introductory part of the report summarizes the main findings; The main part dissects the practice of allocating budgetary contracts for the purpose of advertising and information dissemination according to different types of media - television, radio, online, print and social media. A separate chapter is devoted to the allocation of budgetary funds on social media, including contracts that obligate individual media outlets to post materials on various Facebook groups and pages. The last part deals with the editorial policies of those media outlets, which in some cases, carry homophobic and anti-Western content, and, in selected cases, are involved in pro-governmental coordinated campaigns aimed at discrediting its opponents.
Author: Mariam Pataridze
Research: Giorgi Rizhvadze
Data processing: Mariam Tsutskiridze
Editor: Tamar Kintsurashvili
Link: The Practice of Allocating Budgetary Funds for Advertising and Dissemination of Information in Media - 2021
Financial Transparency of Media - 2020
The following report on the financial transparency of media represents data of 2020. In order to illustrate the extent to which budgetary funding influences the editorial policy of the media or to observe the types of editorial policies the concerned media outlets pursue, it also discusses some examples of media coverage. Released by the Media Development Foundation (MDF) annually, the report explores, on the one hand, declared revenues of broadcast media and, on the other, the practice of allocating budgetary funds for advertising and dissemination of information in media outlets.
The introductory part of the report discusses key findings and regulations; the first part reviews financial revenues of broadcasters, whom the law obliges to file relevant declarations; the second part reviews the practice of allocating public funds for advertising and dissemination of information in various types of media outlets. A separate chapter analyzes social media spending, including budgetary contracts that oblige media outlets to disseminate information in various Facebook groups and pages. The concluding part is devoted to the practice of signing budgetary contracts with anti-Western, anti-disinformation, and hate speech media outlets, including some examples of anti-vaxx content.
Authors:
Mariam Pataridze, Ani Kistauri
Editor:
Tamar Kintsurashvili
Design:
Mariam Tsutskiridze
Link: Financial Transparency of Media - 2020
Financial Transparency of Media - 2019
The present report on financial transparency of the media includes data from 2019. The Media Development Foundation (MDF) releases its reports on financial transparency of the media annually to explore, on the one hand, declared revenues of broadcast media and on the other, the practice of allocating budgetary funds for advertising and dissemination of information in media outlets.
The introductory part of the report discusses key findings of the study and regulations; its first part reviews financial revenues of broadcasters, whom the law obliges to file relevant declarations; the second part reviews the practice of allocating public funds for advertising and dissemination of information in various types of media outlets. A separate chapter analyzes social media spending, including budget contracts with media outlets on dissemination of information in various Facebook groups and pages.
Authors:
Mariam Pataridze
Editor:
Tamar Kintsurashvili
Design:
Mariam Tsutskiridze
Link: Financial Transparency of Media - 2019
Financial Transparency of Media-2018
The Media Development Foundation (MDF) releases annual reports to explore the financial media environment – sources of media financing, including the practice of allocating budgetary funds for advertising and dissemination of information in media outlets.
The present report rests on the desk research, among them documents available in an electronic database of the State Procurement Agency and the National Communications Commission, also additional data requested from public agencies and information available in the public domain. Moreover, a qualitative analysis of media content was carried out by applying the principle of random sampling and based on the contracts between administrative bodies and media outlets. It aimed at clarifying what type of media content was financed from the budget.
The introductory part of the report discusses key findings of the study and regulations; its first part reviews financial revenues of broadcasters, whom the law obliges to file relevant declarations; the second part reviews the practice of allocating public funds for advertising and dissemination of information in media outlets, including media outlets inciting hate speech, fanning anti-Western sentiments and promoting Russian propaganda platforms. The third part of the report depicts practice of formalizing the interference in editorial independence in budget contracts.
Authors:
Mariam Pataridze
Editor:
Tamar Kintsurashvili
Design:
Mariam Tsutskiridze
Link: Financial Transparency of Media-2018
Financial Transparency of Media 2017. Final report
The intent behind the present study is to explore the financial revenues of media organizations as well as to probe the practice of allocating public funds for advertisement and dissemination of information in media outlets. The study mainly rests on the analysis of documents which included documentation accessible in the electronic database of state procurement agency and the National Communications Commission, also additional data requested from public entities and information available in the public domain. Moreover, a qualitative analysis of media content was carried out by applying the principle of random selection and based on the contracts entered into by and between administrative bodies and media outlets. The first part of the report discusses problems concerning the financial transparency of broadcast media, also the data on the revenues of broadcasters, which are publicly available at the time of writing this report; the second reviews the distribution of budgetary funds among TV channels to ensure the dissemination of advertisements and information; the third part explores whether the budgetary contracts imply the interference into editorial independence of media outlets and whether the media outlets observe professional standards that require the separation of financed materials from editorial content; the fourth part provides examples evidencing whether media outlets observed the professional standard of separating financed materials from editorial content during the 2017 local election campaign.
Authors: Mariam Pataridze
Editor: Tamar Kintsurashvili
Design: Mariam Tsutskiridze
Link: Financial Transparency of Media 2017. Final report
Financial Transparency of Media 2017 by Media Development Foundation on Scribd
Pre-Election Financial Media Environment 2017
The intent behind the present study is to explore the financial revenues of media organizations as well as to probe the practice of allocating public funds for advertisement and dissemination of information in media outlets. The report is based on desk research of official information received from public institutions upon request, on accessible electronic data available at the web-portal of Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) and State Procurement Agency's database, as well as media reports. The first part of the report reviews the financial transparency problems in broadcasting media; the second part is about the distribution of budgetary funds to the televisions with the aim of disseminating advertisement and information; the third part reflects the budgetary contracts with the media that disseminate hate speech, anti-Western sentiments and Russian propaganda; and the fourth part concerns the distribution of budgetary funds in regional televisions.
Authors: Mariam Pataridze
Editor: Tamar Kintsurashvili
Design: Mariam Tsutskiridze
Financial Transparency of Media, 2016
The intent behind the present study is to explore the financial revenues of media organizations as well as to probe the practice of allocating public funds for advertisement and dissamination of information in media outlets. The report is based on desk research of official information received from public institutions upon request, on accessible electronic data available at the web-portal of Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) and State Procurement Agency's database, as well as media reports.
The first part reviews the declared revenues of broadcast media, followed by second part on the practice of allocation of public funds by budgetary organizations for the dissemination of information and advertising in media. The media outlets inciting hate speech and anti-Western sentiments and receiving budgetary contracts are presented separately. The report covers the period of 2016.
Practice of allocating budgetary resources among media for the release of information and advertisement
The goal of the present research is to study the practice and procedures of allocation of public funds to media outlets for the purpose of advertising and information support. The research also involves the findings of media monitoring aimed to demonstrate what type of information is financed from the budget and whether budgetary funds have an influence on media content; how much the standards set by advertising legislation, code of conduct and professional ethics are observed. The research also reviews the international practice and the forms of soft censorship after the example of various countries. The document provides recommendations on improving current shortcomings and using the materials financed by administrative authorities in a pre-election period. The guidelines related to soft censorship developed by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) have been taken into consideration in the process of developing the recommendations.