False reports circulate in Georgia, apparently fanning fears of the EU and Western European values. Various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have identified such examples and try to correct them with fact-checks. But it is much more effective to curb the spread of such false reports. This can be achieved with media literacy. Such knowledge is important...

On November 23, a pro-Kremlin online edition News Front published two articles with similar content titled “On the Day We Remember Ivane Gulashvili, Let Us Think About Cooperating with the Archenemy of Terrorists – Russia!” and “Special Operations Center Against Terrorism at the Federal Security Service of Russia”. The first article comes with an Imedi...

The Parliament’s November 14 decision to vote down the constitutional amendment on transition to fully proportional electoral system from 2020 triggered large-scale protests outside the Parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue. The protesters, among them opposition parties, are demanding replacement of the electoral system by the so called “German model.” On November 18, the Georgian government...

On November 11, the Kutaisi-Gaenati Metropolitan Bishop Ioane, in an interview with Kutaisi Post, said that Kvatakhevi, Betania, and Sioni churches, destroyed by Agha Mohammad Khan were re-built and restored by Russia. In an interview with NewsFront, the Metropolitan Bishop tried to justify the whitening of churches by Russia as well and noted that whitening...

On November 19, an online edition Georgia and the World published an article titled “Let Us Walk the Great Ilia’s Path”. The article mentions that the West sows anti-Russian sentiments in Georgia and Ukraine and that this is a project aiming to destroy Russia. The author cites a quote – “the weakening of Russia should...

In October, we, a group of Georgian journalists, arrived in Berlin through an exchange program. Our visit was organized by the Media Development Foundation and Deutsche Gesselschaft. During a week, we participated in intensive seminars, listened to presentations and met with officials from Georgian, EU and German public sectors. Disinformation and the ways of combating...

Update: The page “Giorgi Aghapishvili Blog” was taken down by Facebook in December 2019. Hundreds of other pages and groups involved in inauthentic coordinated behaviour were also deleted. According to Facebook, this network was linked to the Georgian Dream ruling party. Updated version: A Facebook page called “გიორგი აღაპიშვილის ბლოგი” (Giorgi Aghapishvili’s Blog) that has been...

On November 18, online media outlet Marshalpress released an article, citing Facebook user Lika Gamrekeli, headlined “You are not shareholders, you are potential murderers! – The slaves of executioners did not make way for an emergency vehicle, causing a man’s death!” According to the material, the incident took place at Tabukashvili Street and emergency medical...

On November 17, News Front, a Georgian-language website of pro-Kremlin online media outlet, released an article headlined “Comic Laments around Doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili Detained by Ossetians.” The article criticizes the opposition, who according to News Front, “is lamenting in front of TV cameras,” further aggravating the situation, as well as Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, whose...

On November 12, Sputnik Georgia released an article headlined “Second-hand armament: what kind of patrol boats does the United States hand over to Ukraine.” Sputnik’s columnist, Alexander Khrolenko notes in the article that the United States sells off obsolete patrol boats to its partners and brings an example of Island class patrol boats, which, according...

On November 12, 2019, a Georgian-language website of pro-Kremlin online media outlet News Front released an article headlined „ПЁТР ВЕЛИКИЙ VS. RICHMOND: Battle of Russian and British Warships. It provides a story prepared by Zvezda, a Russian state-owned nationwide TV channel run by the Russian Defense Ministry, in 2017 on how the British warship Richmond...

On November 6, 2019, an online edition, Georgia and World released an article headlined “Father Giorgi (Razmadze): we will definitely see the next series of a dirty and smear campaign discrediting the Church and His Holiness.” Giorgi Razmadze, leader of St. Ketevan Martyr’s Church, notes that western leaders are fighting against Christianity; he brings an...