Let's Rock!
[2]During August-November 2009 Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC) has conducted a diverse, in-depth research of Georgian media by order from the Eurasia Foundation for Cooperation. The research was targeted at: attitude of Georgian population to media; 8 focus groups in two cities of Georgia; interviews with 47 leading media-professionals; media monitoring analyzing the Georgian TV-news network.
Research has shown that 84% of the respondents watched the TV-news daily. Majority of them spent from half an hour to two hours for the cause. Additionally 86% of the respondents read daily newspapers at least once a month and 80% a magazine. It is noteworthy that many respondents claimed they could not read printed media due to the high prices, or the fact that they could not buy it nearby their living place. 33% of the respondents claimed getting news from radio daily and 12% from the Internet.
One of the most interesting results of the research appeared to be the method of receiving information as often stressed by the focus groups' participants: they watched the news at different channels later deciding which would be more trustworthy. As claimed in the research this is the result of the fact that Georgian spectators understand the TV-news are potentially biased and the only way out is to watch different channels. For example in Tbilisi participants of the focus groups named Rustavi 2, Imedi and First Channel as pro-governmental and Caucasia and Maestro as pro-opposition channels.
The fact that respondents doubt any of the TV-channels to be unbiased and chose the so called method of "double-checking" for receiving of information points to the fact of interest of population to the news. Furthermore, the research has also outlined the list of themes, which the respondents believe lack interest from the media. Majority of the respondents have listed the following such themes: social issues (50%), human rights (39%), freedom of speech (38%), healthcare issues (38\7%), and court activities (34%). Apparently people are interested in those issues as they have outlined them. Furthermore, over 75% of the respondents stated that journalists must conduct investigations of the issues of healthcare, court activities, elections and protection of the freedom of speech.
CRRC National Democratic Institute (NDI) survey on Public Opinion conducted in March 2011 has shown that the above mentioned themes are still important. It has been determined that the most pressing issue throughout Georgia is employment - 61% of the votes. Increase of prices is important for the 39% of respondents (has doubled compared to previous survey results.) Share of those who are concerned with poverty rate has increased from 33 to 36%. Most important in the list of national issues are: pensions, availability of healthcare service, salaries. The problem of territorial integrity is the third in the list (38% of the respondents).
91% of the respondents believe prices have significantly worsened since January 2008, 63% voted for poverty rate, 53% for the availability of healthcare services, 46% for the number of job opportunities and 30% for the salaries. The given themes have been named as underestimated by politicians by 62%, 59%, 55%, 48%, 41% of respondents, accordingly. This indicates that respondents believe discussion of those themes important and we can count they believe discussions must be held by media, mainly the television, as it is the most available and in general mostly used method for them.
NDI survey has shown employment remains the most important issue among local issues. The given issue is of concern for 81% of the respondents. Decrease in the manufacture of agricultural products is of concern for 33% of respondents (compared to previous 15%) and increase in the cost of public transport fees is of concern for 32% (compared to previous 27%.). 46% percent of the respondents believe the problem of the cost of utility services to be problematic. At local level people believe the situation has worsened in all the given issues since January 2008.
Only 13% of the respondents claim the situation in their families has improved since January 2008; 49% believe the situation has not changed (compared to previous 54%); for 37% of respondents the situation in their families has worsened. According to the NDI survey 73% of the respondents do not believe themselves to be employed and 41% claim they "are unemployed and looking for a job."
The NDI survey has also confirmed that Georgian population is politically active. 89% of the respondents have claimed television as primary source of information and 7% have named television as secondary source of information. 4% of the respondents named Internet as the primary source of information and 8% - as secondary source of information; newspapers and magazines - 2% and 24% respectively. 71% of the respondents are concerned with the Georgian-Russian relations and believe the current politics of the neighboring county in relation to Georgia to be of threat. 59% of the survey participants have watched the television project - President Answers People's Questions and 67% of the respondents have claimed opposition fractions should have head the opportunity answer such questions at the same channel.
These two surveys done at different periods of time confirm the social problems are at the leading place in the country and the public interest to social-political and economic issues is quite high. Considering the given fact the document prepared and publicized by the Georgian National Commission for Communications is quite surprising, meaning the document - Consolidated Report on the Public Opinion on Broadcasting. The given document was prepared by the BCG Research during 2008-2010 by the order from the GNCC.
One of the findings of the survey was that "percentage indicator of the demand for additional news programs in Georgian television is quite low. Majority of survey respondents have demanded to see more entertainment programs - motion pictures, comic and sports programs. Furthermore they believe there is a deficit in this view in Georgian television sphere," and additionally "65% of the respondents in regions believe there is no necessity for the activity of regional TV-channels."
To tell the truth it would be hard to find the evidences confirming the given conclusions even in this document itself. For example in the diagram - "What types of programs are of deficit at Georgian TV-channels" - 55.4% of the respondents have answered - "I do not know". As for the themes demanded by the respondents "the highest demand has been shown for the programs about the Georgian nation, traditions, mentality and employment and related themes."
The new guiding document of the Georgian National Commission for Communications has been discussed by the EURASIANET.org. In the article - Georgia: Will Music Drown Out the News in Tbilisi? [3] (www.foreignpress.ge [4]) journalist Molly Corso writes: The Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) announced its new policy on April 18, basing its decision on public opinion surveys conducted over the past two years by BCG Research, a local Georgian polling company. BCG also has acted as a pollster for President Mikheil Saakashvili's governing United National Movement."
According to the data from the GNCC, 28.5% of the 3 thousand respondents have claimed deficit of music programs, while only 10.5% of the respondents are concerned with the deficit of public-political programs. 11.3% of the respondents believe there is a lack of news programs in radios and TV-channels. "Overall, BCG Research gathered data from respondents in 23 zones used by the GNCC to determine frequencies. Responses were weighed "proportionally" to the population in each zone, but BCG research executive Rusudan Nadiradze could not elaborate on the method used."
Media experts and public society believe the government is creating the given "new reality" for controlling news flows on the threshold of the oncoming elections. The given survey may become (and probably will become) the explanation of refusal of issuing license to those who will wish to broadcast news feeds. Considering all the indicators given above and the "warm" relations between the government and the GNCC representatives, the given doubt is absolutely realistic.
Another evidence of this can also be found in the BCG Research survey. According to the document the 15th zone of the survey has shown the highest demand for humoristic programs - 59.3%. According to the attached list the 15th zone is Tkibuli. Just during 9 months of last year 10 have died and 12 have been injured in the mines operating in the given small town. All of those miners were very well aware that they had to work in the grave, dangerous conditions, but it their only choice. Should we believe "partying" is their choice?