Georgia media guide

Television is the most popular medium although online media are gaining ground as news sources.

In 2024, Georgia introduced its contentious "transparency on foreign influence" bill - often dubbed the "foreign agents law".

The Georgian government argues it will ensure transparency of money flowing to support NGOs and protect Georgia from foreign interference.

Opponents say the real reason for the legislation is to stifle dissent.

Pro-government Imedi TV is the top-rated station, followed by pro-opposition Mtavari TV.

Strong anti-Western narratives, echoing Kremlin messaging, and conspiratorial rhetoric have been pushed by Georgian officials and thus by pro-government media.

Domestic rivalries, anti-Western, anti-liberal and anti-LGBTQ messaging, conspiracy theories against the Georgian authorities, and manipulation around the war in Ukraine are the major topics shaping misinformation and disinformation narratives in Georgia.

Georgians have access to diverse views and information across broadcast, online and print media - though newspaper readership figures are very low. According to Reporters Without Borders, the media landscape is "highly politically polarised".

There were 2.9 million internet users by February 2024, comprising 78% of the population (Datareportal.com).

The most popular social network is Facebook.

• Media guides by BBC Monitoring

Online

• Agenda.ge - English-language website run by the government

• Batumelebi - Batumi-based website with a strong reputation for editorial independence

• Civil Georgia - launched in 2001 by the UN Association of Georgia, news and analysis in English, Georgian and Russian

• Ekho Kavkaza - RFE/RL's Russian-language service covering the North and South Caucasus

• Netgazeti - launched in 2010 by Batumelebi Newspaper Ltd, widely acknowledged as professional and independent

• Publika - independent website

• Tabula - critical of Georgian Dream

Press

• Georgia Today - Tbilisi-based English-language weekly

• Kviris Palitra - broadsheet weekly

• Rezonansi - daily newspaper, regularly features pro-government commentators and critics of the opposition

• The Messenger - English-language daily

Television

• Ajaria TV - publicly-funded local broadcaster based in Batumi, the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Ajaria

• Formula TV - critical of Georgian Dream

• Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) - publicly-funded, runs two TV networks and two radio stations

• Imedi TV - most-watched TV channel, pro-Georgian Dream, heavily critical of their opponents

• PalitraNews - does not support any particular political party

• POSTV - strongly anti-Western and a pro-Georgian Dream

• Maestro TV - part of a media holding with pro-government Imedi TV and reliably supportive of the government

• Mtavari TV - second most-watched channel, main opposition channel, heavily critical of Georgian Dream

• Pirveli TV - government-critical channel, has claimed the authorities have attempted to compel it to pursue a pro-government line

• Rustavi-2 - increasingly pro-Georgia Dream

Radio

• Public Radio One (Radio Erti) - part of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB)

• Radio Imedi - private, national news and speech network

• Radio Tavisupleba - Georgian service of the US government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)