Keywords: International, English, Georgia, Russia, EU, Europe, US, West, human rights, xenophobia, homophobia, journalism, propaganda, monitoring, media, print, digital, resources for media
Media Development Foundation’s (MDF) monitoring report aims to expose and identify the source of anti-Western propaganda in connection to xenophobic and homophobic messages in the Georgian media landscape through the analysis of print and digital media in the period 2014-2015. MDF observed that Western values and human rights such as the ‘legalisation’ of homosexuality and minority rights were presented as a fight against Orthodox Christianity and Georgian national identity. Accordingly, Western endeavours for gender equality were similarly constructed as a threat to Georgia, supposedly attacking Georgian family traditions.
MDF reports finds that the EU and the US were portrayed as the ultimate threat to Georgia and that media outlets fuelled fears of being governed by external foreign forces through polemic rhetoric and the demonization of NGOs, accusing them of employing Western spies to bring down the Georgian government.
MDF argues for journalistic professionalism and recommends that international organisations observe Georgian media activity to report any possible propaganda. Moreover, MDF suggests the monitoring of media owners to expose and work against possibly biased reporting due to political links.
Monitoring Report: Anti Western Propaganda