The crisis at Georgia's Public Broadcaster continues to deepen, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the current management lacks both the willingness and the capacity to address it adequately. To restore the Public Broadcaster to its constitutional framework and ensure it fulfills its programming priorities, it is essential to replace the management and return the broadcaster to its rightful purpose—serving the public.

In recent weeks, the Public Broadcaster has become another focal point of widespread peaceful protests and resistance, with self-organized citizen groups demanding open airtime and adequate coverage of critical public and political issues. Following public protests, the broadcaster agreed to invite guests approved by the protest participants to its programs daily, dedicating approximately one or two hours to them. However, it remains unclear how sustainable this format will be, and it is evident that dedicating just one or two hours a day to such discussions is insufficient to reflect the public's real interests and needs. Observations of these broadcasts also clearly reveal the bias of the presenters. Consequently, the Public Broadcaster continues to violate the principle of impartiality and fails to address the public's actual concerns.

The Public Broadcaster is built on the idea of public good, with the goal of delivering content free from political and commercial influence, providing diverse programming, and fostering pluralistic and progressive public discourse[1]. It is a publicly funded, independent legal entity under public law, accountable to society and not subject to any state institution.[2]

According to its programming priorities, the Public Broadcaster must ensure the timely delivery of accurate information about Georgia's integration into the European Union, its significance, and the obligations it entails for candidate countries. Additionally, the broadcaster must take all necessary measures to prevent the spread of disinformation, particularly in the context of hybrid warfare.

Despite these obligations, the Public Broadcaster has, for years, operated as a politically biased media organization, amplifying the government's anti-Western propaganda, fostering Euroscepticism, and failing to fulfill its constitutional duty to create politically neutral, public interest-oriented, pluralistic media content and an appropriate working environment within the organization.

Regrettably, the Public Broadcaster still fails to fulfill its mission and uphold institutional independence.

Over the years, individuals affiliated with the ruling party, Georgian Dream, have been appointed as directors and members of the Supervisory Board. [3]These individuals often operate under the influence of the government, which inevitably affects the broadcaster's editorial policy.

According to a monitoring report by the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics, the Public Broadcaster only superficially attempts to adhere to the principle of impartiality. In reality, it fails to offer formats where party positions are discussed critically and equally, preventing viewers from making informed choices. Alarmingly, during broadcasts, the hosts' biased attitudes towards government representatives are evident[4]. Furthermore, when interviewing members of the ruling Georgian Dream party, journalists intentionally adopt a passive role, avoiding critical questions and allowing guests to promote the government's positive agenda instead of addressing pressing societal problems.[5]

Alongside violations of impartiality and independence, the Public Broadcaster also disregards its own programming priorities, which require it to promote Georgia's integration into the European Union.[6]

The broadcaster's coverage has also been inadequate and biased during ongoing political crises. For instance, on December 18, 2024, when Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili addressed the European Parliament, this significant event failed to receive live coverage on the Public Broadcaster.[7]

Moreover, members of the broadcaster's management often express Eurosceptic views. The Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Vasil Maglaperidze, currently hosts a podcast series focused on Georgia's foreign policy. Along with invited guests, including Giorgi Gvimradze, Maglaperidze systematically promotes Eurosceptic narratives, claiming that Georgia's European integration process is stalled due to Europe's lack of readiness and advocating for alternative foreign policy models.[8]

The broadcaster also fails to reflect the plurality of public opinion. During the large-scale protests against the so-called "Russian Law" in the spring of 2024, the Public Broadcaster covered repressive legislation and civic protests through a pro-government lens. Instead of inviting organizations directly targeted by the legislation, the broadcaster featured guests who reinforced government propaganda narratives. Together with host Giorgi Gvimradze, these guests contributed to the marginalization and stigmatization of civil society.

Additionally, the Supervisory Board lacks an effective mechanism to assess the implementation of the broadcaster's programming priorities, leaving systemic violations unaddressed and making editorial biases an ingrained part of the broadcaster's policy.[9]

It is worth noting that dozens of Public Broadcaster employees have also called on management to meet public demands during this critical and transformative period and to open airtime for public and political discussions. However, multiple public appeals and official letters have received no substantive or reasoned responses from management.[10]

In Georgia's sharply polarized media environment and amid a crisis of public trust, it is crucial for the Public Broadcaster to fulfill its constitutional obligation to provide in-depth and impartial coverage of events. However, the management's inadequate response to the crisis and its resistance to change demonstrate that democratizing the broadcaster's editorial policy and restoring public interest to its operations is impossible without radical democratic reforms.

Considering all of the above, the Social Justice Center demands the resignation of the current management of the Public Broadcaster and a return to the broadcaster's true mission and objectives. Such change is essential for restoring constitutional order to the broadcaster, overcoming the crisis, and fostering a depolarization process.

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