The Power of Community Journalism
In Georgia, a network of independent media outlets report on the issues that matter most in underrepresented communities
Maia Pipia is a veteran reporter in the city of Zugdidi in western Georgia. Her outlet, Radio Atinati, is the only Georgian radio station able to broadcast into Russia-occupied Abkhazia. This region has been isolated from the rest of the country since 2008, when an armed conflict resulted in a large-scale Russian invasion of Georgia.
“On our ‘Common Grounds’ program we discuss topics important to people living on both sides of the Administrative Boundary Line,” Maia said. “We talk about what connects us and not about what disconnects us.”
With support from USAID, Maia’s news outlet has produced programs in cooperation with Abkhaz journalists for six years, providing much-needed independent reporting to this community. Last year, one of its Georgian-Abkhaz programs became a finalist for the EU Prize for Peace Journalism.
Radio Atinati is one of 14 local independent media outlets in Georgia that partnered with USAID for a media support program launched in 2014. Many of these outlets operate in ethnic minority communities and near Georgia’s Russia-occupied territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Trusted, reliable, and independent local media are a necessary building block in any democracy. By providing the public with accurate, unbiased, and non-partisan reporting, community journalists build a feedback loop between citizens and the state that allows for the flourishing of participatory, citizen-centered politics.
In Georgia, USAID launched a media support program that shifted our focus from national-level media to the country’s nascent local independent media sector. As new outlets popped up in communities across Georgia, USAID saw an emerging sector in need of support.
News outlets were eager to make an impact in their communities, but they lacked the tools and, in some cases, the know-how. They faced challenges in adopting digital technologies, building the professional skills of their newsrooms, and achieving commercial sustainability.
USAID assistance has helped fill these gaps, putting Georgia’s independent media ecosystem on firmer footing.
Seven years later, the 14 participating outlets have grown their audiences more than fourfold, reaching more people, especially younger audiences, through digital platforms and multimedia stories produced using USAID-provided video production and editing tools. One outlet, Livepress.ge, grew from a fledgling news website to an organization that reaches roughly 100,000 people per month with multimedia content in multiple languages, including Georgian, Abkhaz, and Russian.
COVID-19 brought into stark view the value of USAID’s investment in independent media. Now equipped with the means to reach larger audiences, local independent media outlets played an outsized role during the pandemic.
These platforms ensured that factual public health information reached some of Georgia’s most vulnerable citizens: members of ethnic minority communities who lack Georgian language skills and are frequently targeted by disinformation campaigns. By making inroads into hard-to-reach populations, they helped reduce the severity of the pandemic in ethnic minority communities.
To support this growth, USAID provided the outlets with tailored assistance — such as equipment and training — so they could produce high-quality content, reach a wider audience, uphold the highest standards of journalistic ethics and professionalism, and better manage the commercial side of their operations.
Moreover, individual journalists, many of them long on enthusiasm but short on experience, received on-the-job training and mentorship from experienced media experts.
Sirusho Antonyan is a young journalist who has directly benefited from USAID media support. She works for Channel 9, the local TV station in Akhaltsikhe, a city in Georgia’s majority ethnic Armenian south. Each day, Sirusho and her team broadcast to thousands of people in two languages, Georgian and Armenian. They have significantly expanded their audience with USAID support, growing from 3,800 unique visitors per month to nearly 100,000 in 2021.
She views her profession as an opportunity to provide members of her community with factual information and help members of the ethnic Armenian community better integrate in Georgian society.
“I always wanted to direct my efforts at improving the lives of ethnic minorities. I wanted to provide them with information in their native language to be even better protected from the propaganda.” — Sirusho Antonyan, journalist
“Working with the USAID-funded program and Channel 9 gave me an opportunity to understand my role in the daily life of the ethnic Armenian population,” Sirusho said.
USAID remains committed to supporting independent media in Georgia. We are designing a new media development program set to launch this year. Developed with input from local journalists and media experts, the program will provide new support for Georgia to develop a dynamic independent media sector capable of providing factual and credible reporting on the issues that matter most to the country’s citizens.
About the Author
Joseph Larsen is a Senior Development Outreach Advisor with the USAID Mission in Georgia. Cherish Broker is a Development Associate with the USAID Mission in Georgia.
