The Communications Commission has published the second media monitoring report for the 2019 midterm parliamentary elections, covering the period between 20 May and 9 June 2019.

Nine broadcasting channels and radio broadcasters were monitored during the reporting period. During the monitoring process, the Commission scrutinised the following:

a) Election advertising;

b) Election debates;

c) News and political programmes;

d) Election campaigning;

e) Public opinion polls and research.

The media monitoring process was conducted by a total of nine monitors.

The monitoring process scrutinised paid-for and free election advertising, ensuring that broadcasters allocated political advertising time in a fair and transparent manner. As part of the monitoring of news reports, political programmes and election debates, the Commission focussed on the time allocated by broadcasters to qualified electoral subjects and the coverage of their pre-election activities.  Activities of other political subjects who are involved in the election process were also scrutinised. In case of failure by broadcasters to fulfil their legal duties, the Commission will study each specific case and respond to them in accordance with the legislation.

The monitoring results include information about the time allocated directly or indirectly to electoral subjects during the news coverage. Directly allocated time includes instances when electoral subjects/candidates are personally speaking/participating in a programme, while indirectly allocated time includes the time devoted by broadcasters on talking about the electoral subjects/candidates and their supporters.

Monitoring results are also categorised by gender, showing the total time allocated by individual broadcasters to male and female politicians.

The broadcasting schedule of Obiektivi includes a programme presented by members of the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi and Irma Inashvili.

The Commission believes that in order to ensure fair, balanced and unbiased coverage of the election campaign, broadcasters must pay particular attention to the guidelines included in the Code of Conduct for Broadcasters, which was approved by the Communications Commission on 12 March 2009. Broadcasters should avoid scenarios where high-ranking politicians or members of political parties act as presenters, interviewers or journalists on political or news programmes.

In accordance with the Election Code of Georgia, broadcasters who decide to conduct coverage of the election campaign must ensure that election debates are presented in a non-discriminatory manner and that all qualified electoral subjects are included. The monitoring process for the reporting period revealed that a number of broadcasters did not hold election debates or failed to include all qualified electoral subjects in their debates. To obtain full information regarding the election debates, the Commission asked broadcasters to provide an appropriate explanation. The feedback received from the broadcasters is currently being analysed, following which the Commission will undertake appropriate measure in accordance with the existing legislation.