Irakli Kobakhidze: Whether they call us a "regime" or a "dictatorship," we emerge as winners either way
"We have no concerns; we win elections and emerge victorious from every political contest. Whether they call us a 'regime' or a 'dictatorship,' we emerge as winners either way. It is not about our concerns; rather, it is about the need to improve the health of the media environment in our country," stated Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze regarding a regulation issued by the Communications Commission.
According to Kobakhidze, news broadcasts must meet standards of objectivity, and this regulation had not been enforced until now.
"The context in which the word 'regime' is used is important. I cannot go into details because these matters are regulated by the Communications Commission. Standards of objectivity have been in place in Georgia for many years; however, the relevant norms were not effective, simply because there was no enforcement mechanism. It is nothing new that the principle of neutrality must be upheld in news broadcasts—as opposed to opinion-based or authorial programs. These norms have existed in our legislation for years—much like they do in the laws of many other countries—though their enforcement was not previously guaranteed. Today, however, the enforcement of these standards is ensured, based on the requirements for objectivity. If you attempt to challenge these standards of objectivity by employing specific terms, you simply cannot use those terms. It is not a matter of being "bothered"; the media, in general, ought to be objective. While a journalist may express their own subjective opinions in an authorial program, a news broadcast—when aired—must meet the standards of objectivity. We are not "bothered" by anything; we win elections and emerge victorious from every political contest. Whether they choose to call us a "regime" or a "dictatorship," we come out on top regardless. "It is not about our concerns; it is about the need to improve the media environment in our country," stated Kobakhidze.
For context, according to Transparency International Georgia, the Communications Commission has identified 93 words and phrases that are prohibited for the media.
As noted in the released information, these include terms such as "Ivanishvili’s Prime Minister," "oligarch," "judicial clan," and so on.
