Media Development Foundation, MDF discussed the letter of Channel 9 in which the leadership of the channel’s news service expressed its disagreement with the conclusions of the monitoring conducted by the Foundation according to which the story aired by Channel 9 news service on June 7 concerning the disruption of the Muslim prayer in Samtatskaro was in breach of certain professional standards.
We admit that any product and especially TV story may be a subject for interpretation and could be perceived differently by the viewers. However, the goal of MDF is the analysis of media within the context of the Code of Conduct for Broadcasters, which, in its turn, may be a matter for discussion. We would like to remind our colleagues that the key formulations of the Code of Conduct for Broadcasters are used in the monitoring. We are confident that articles 12 and 13 (reliability and accuracy), 16(4), 18(2) (impartiality) and 13(9) were adequately applied during the monitoring.
With regard to the accuracy of the facts reported, an interested society may get acquainted with the stories prepared by other TV channels (Rustavi 2 and Public Broadcaster), reports offered by the Information Center of Kakheti (which is not monitored by MDF, however, remains an interesting source for the issue concerned), as well as with the Public Defender’s address to the Ministry of Internal Affairs demanding the investigation of the incident which is based on explanations by Suliko Khozrevanidze describing in detail the June 7 developments in Samtatskaro. We hope that this material will help our colleagues to better analyze MDF assessments and conclusions.
At the same time, we would like to ensure our colleagues that the goal of the Media Development Foundation is the support of media in its endeavors, rather than confrontational criticism. We remain open and ready to discuss your comments and opinions.
At the same time, we would like to offer our apologies to journalist Tamta Sanikidze for mentioning her name incorrectly.
For the letter of Channel 9 to MDF, please, refer to the attached file.
Channel 9 responds MDF (available in Georgian)