Internet portal News.ge whose editorial office is located in one of the blocks adjacent to the GPB premises appeared in internet space six months ago. The editorial staff is working in one big room partitioned with brick walls. The walls, along with the phone numbers, portray the extracts from Article 154 of the Criminal Code of Georgia which reminds us that illegal interference into journalist’s professional activities is punishable by law. Even though the News.ge journalists haven’t yet faced illegal interference into their professional activities media representatives should always remember their rights, the editorial staff says.

Internet portal News.ge, as well as online television TV.News.ge, is owned by News Ge LLC. Mamuka Monavardishvili, Giorgi Garsevanishvili, Mamuka Pachuashvili and Paata Veshapidze are 15-percent shareholders of the company each, the remaining 40 per cent is held by Davit Sikharulidze. Pachuashvili and Veshapidze are the publishers of the Georgian daily 24 Saati (24 Hours), Monavardishvili and Garsevanishvili are the founders of ITDC JSC. ITDC is creating websites for commercial and governmental structures. It also owns a popular web portal myvideo.ge.

News.ge’s editorial office is independent, Paata Veshapidze says, and it has got nothing in common with the editorial activities of TV.News.ge and the 24 Saati even though two journalists of the 24 Saati are concurrently employed at News.ge.

“All of the three editorial offices are working independently,” Paata Veshapidze points out.

Today, he says, the online edition is a way more profitable than newspaper business.

“We haven’t started marketing and advertising activities yet. The ads appeared on our website

The trial operation of the portal, News.ge’s editor Marika Bochoridze says, will end in late September and afterwards filled up with analytical materials. Currently News.ge is publishing only news.

“We are trying to cover all fields and offer our readers textual materials as well as video files featuring press conferences or the scenes,” says Marika Bochoridze and points out that 18 journalists employed at News.ge are equipped with small video cameras, laptops and internet modems. “They are not wasting time, upload texts, photos and videos from the scene, having received the material I publish them on the website,” says the editor and points out that accuracy is more important than promptness. 

The News.ge’s editor says the May flood in Tbilisi is the highest rated topic. The News.ge reporter was then uploading video footage on the website directly from flooded streets.

In addition to news the website reviews the stories circulating in the social networks. Topics and videos, that gain popularity on social networks, are afterwards posted in the Social Media rubric. The journalist also provides a brief review of the comments made over the topic.

In the For Fun rubric funny videos related to Georgian and foreign show biz are being published. The publication of the videos of this kind was the founders’ requirement. “They want to meet the interests of any customer,” she said.

News.ge also offers users a kind of database. The Organizations rubric includes the data about different companies operating nationwide. The same rubric contains the materials ever produced by News.ge about either organization.

The Persons rubric includes data about publicly known figures and the list of articles News.ge has ever prepared about these persons.