Kathryn Butterworth, Department of Information Sciences, Graduate College of Information Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Information Policy in the Republic of Georgia and the Russian Federation in the post-Soviet Context

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Aim

The main objective of this presentation is to provide a

comparative overview of the situations in both the

Republic of Georgia and the Russian Federation

regarding information policy and their similarities and

differences, respectively. To this end, the scope of the

presentation looks at the primary means of information

consumption in both countries.

Timeline

The timeline for this comparison looks at information

policy as it has developed in both countries since 2000,

the year that Vladimir Putin acceded to the Russian

presidency. Particular attention to this period will better

help us assess the trajectory and status of modern

information policy in both countries.

Scope

As mentioned above, the scope of the presentation will

include an examination of television stations with the

largest viewership of the top five stations in the Republic

of Georgia. In Russia, the top five publishing houses are

under consideration due to consumption and breadth of

influence.

“…information policy is the collection of

laws and policies dealing with

information from its creation, through its

collection, organization, dissemination,

and re-packaging, to its destruction (Doty,

Philip and Wyllys R.E., 2004).”

This presentation explores information policy in the

Republic of Georgia, particularly examining the

government’s program regarding access to information by

examining its major television stations. Television is the

medium of mass information under consideration due its

prominence in Georgian society.

Additionally, it explores and compares how the formation

and implementation of information policy in the Republic

of Georgia compares to information policy and access in

the Russian Federation via codified laws.

These two countries are under consideration due to a

shared history of strict and rigid censorship during the

Soviet period, and also because of the complex political

situation between the two countries and its effect on

information policy.

Method and Findings

• An examination of government policy as well as

content analysis of major information institutions, in

this case major publishing houses (Russia) and news

outlets (Republic of Georgia) was conducted.

• Additionally, the study questioned how these practices

conform to government information policies in

actuality.

• The highest volume of information is consumed via

television in the Republic of Georgia. The top five

television outlets are examined.

• Five Main Television conduits: Imedi, Rustavi 2, Mze,

Georgian Public Broadcaster, Channel 1 (all Tbilisi

based).

• The Russian Federation relies mostly on print to

consume information and thus this presentation

examines publishing houses and the extent to which

government policy dictates published information.

• Top Five publishing houses: Prosveshchenie

(Enlightment), AST, Drofa, Eskmo-Press, and Olma-

press.

The independence of Rustavi 2 and Imedi is murky at

best, with the latter having indirect connections to

Saakashvili, the former president of Georgia. Imedi and

Rustavi 2, as well as Mze, were supportive of the

Saakashvili regime and are currently supportive of the

Georgian Dream controlled government.

Georgian Public Broadcaster “is a publicly-funded entity,

and required by law to “provide accurate and up-to-date

information that is free from political and commercial bias”

and “to address the needs and interests of the larger

Georgian society through diversity of programs and

viewpoints” (Article15, Law on Broadcasting).”

(Mikashavidze, Maia, 2016).

Implementation of information policy is influenced by

changing political developments.

2000s - in the parliamentary and presidential elections,

Saakashvili and his United National Movement party were

accused of controlling and intimidating television

programs and journalists (Areshidze, Irakly, 250-260).

Russia

Federal Service for Supervision of

Communications, Information Technology, and Mass

Media 2009 – Government body with an obfuscated

mandate, allowing it to engage in ex post facto

censorship.

Textbook Reforms 2013 introduced historically and

culturally appropriate standards that abide by government

regulations.

Ex 1. Today the publishing portfolio “DROFA”-“VENTANA-

GRAF”-it is 40% federal list of textbooks, recommended

by the Ministry of education and science of the Russian

Federation.”

Сегодня издательский портфель «ДРОФА» –

«ВЕНТАНА-ГРАФ» — это 40% федерального перечня

учебников, рекомендованных Министерством

образования и науки РФ. (Drofa. Glavnaia.

Ob”edinennaia Izdatel’skaia Gruppa, 2016)

2000s - media freedom in the Russian Federation has

steadily declined, either through means of coercion,

intimidation of journalists or by forcing genuinely

independent news channels and print newspapers out of

business.

Russia’s information policy is categorically heavily

restricted and since 2000, the Russian government has

become gradually authoritarian by such laws, as is

reflected in its information policy.

Freedom house Score: Freedom of the Press

48/100 Georgia 0 - Best

83/100 Russia 100 - Worst

Selected References

Avalishvili, Levan. European Energy Security and Related

Issues: In-Depth Analytical

Coverage. Information Security -New Challenges and

Georgia. (July, 2015). Retrieved from

http://eurodialogue.eu/Information%20security%20%E2%

80%93%20New%20Challenges%20and%20Georgiab.

Boguta, Grzegorz. (2005, January). A Strategy for

Libraries in Georgia. Retrieved from

https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/Complete

d/STAGE/DGIV_CULT_STAGE(2005)3_en.PDF.

Drofa (2016) Glavnaia. Ob”edinennaia Izdatel’skaia

Gruppa. ‘O kompanii. http://drofa-ventana.ru/about/.

Fondi gia sazogadoeba sakartvelo. (2013) Informatsiis

tavisuplebis ganvitarebis inst’it’ut’i: sajaro informatsiis

khelmisats’vdomoba sakartveloshi sainformatsio

biulet’eni No. 5. 2012-2013. Retrieved from

https://www.osgf.ge/files/2013/publikaciebi%202013/Geo-

2013_angarishi_opendata.pdf.

Freedom House. Russia (2016). Freedom of the Press.

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-

press/2016/Russia.

Google Sites. (December, 2011). Republic of Georgia:

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT).

Retrieved from

https://sites.google.com/site/countryofgeorgia/telecommu

nications-infrastructure-1.

Google Sites. (December, 2011). Republic of Georgia:

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT).

Retrieved from

https://sites.google.com/site/countryofgeorgia/political-

and-legal-environment.

IFLA. (January, 2016) Implementing the Sustainable

Development Goals – A Russian Example.

http://www.ifla.org/node/10150.

IFLA. (Avgust, 2012) Mezhdunarodnaia Federatsiia

Bibliotechnykh Assotsiatsiĭ i Uchrezhdeniĭ

(IFLA) Kodeks Ėtiki IFLA dlia Bibliotekareĭ i Drugikh

Informatsionnykh Rabotnikov: Kratkaia Versiia. Retrieved

fromhttp://www.ifla.org/files/assets/faife/codesofethics/rus

siancodeofethicsshort.pdf

Mikashavidze, Maia. European Journalism Center. ‘Media

Landscapes: Georgia 2.3 Television.’

http://ejc.net/media_landscapes/georgia.

Somondo: Connecting visitors and non-profit

organizations. (2016) Institute for Development of

freedom of Information. Retrieved from

https://www.somondo.org/organizations/667/institute-for-

development-of-freedom-of-information-idfi.

Wenceslas, CC BY-SA 3.0. Confederatie van Rusland en Wit

Rusland.jpg. Retrieved from

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1850604

Babych, Vasyl`. Wikipedia Commons. Atlas Of

Georgia. Retrieved from

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Atlas_of_Georgia.

Georgia

Freedom of Information in the Georgia (ინფორმაციისთავისუფლება საქართველოში)

“It explains that every person has the opportunity to access

and share information.” იგი განმარტავს, რომ ყოველ ადამიანს აქვს შესაძლებლობამიიღოსდა გაავრცელოს ინფორმაცია. (Informatsiis tavisuplebis

ganvitarebis inst’it’ut’i. No.5 2012-2013, 4).