Self-regulation
Pursuant to Article 14 of the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting and the Code of Conduct of Broadcasters adopted by the Georgian National Communication Commission (GNCC) in 2009, broadcasters are obliged to establish an efficient complains mechanism for considering customers’ complaints.If a broadcaster breaches the Code of Conduct, apply to us through filling out a provided questionnaire and the Media Development Foundation, MDF will present your complaint in a broadcaster's self-regulation body.
Success stories
Case of Rustavi 2 TV channel
On 29 May, the self-regulatory body of Rustavi 2 Broadcasting Company satisfied the complaint lodged by the Union of Muslims of Georgia, the Media Development Fund (MDF) and the Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI).NGOs appealed to the self-regulatory body regarding a news report about the construction of a mosque in Adjara, which was aired on current affairs program Kurieri P.S. on 6 April. According to the complaint, the report on Kurieri P.S. violated five norms of the Code of Conduct of Broadcasters.
The decision of Rustavi 2 self-regulatory body states that the journalist of Kurieri P.S. did not intend to mislead audience or make incorrect statement about minorities, which can be proved by the balanced nature of the report in which the journalist tried to provide diverse opinions of all interested persons.
Although the self-regulatory body of the TV company satisfied the complaint,the editorial board of Kurieri P.S. was recommended to treat reports on religious minorities with extreme caution."The disputed report might have some shortcomings, but this should not be viewed as a biased position of the journalist because the disputable phrases are the result of carelessness," the broadcaster explained.