The Communications Commission has started media monitoring of the 2024 parliamentary election period. During this time, the Commission will monitor up to 55 TV stations 24 hours a day. Aside from quantitative monitoring, the 5 most popular channels (Teleimedi, Rustavi 2, PosTV, Mtavari Arkhi and TV Pirveli) will also be subject to qualitative monitoring between 7:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. The monitoring process will be implemented by 25 specially trained monitors who will follow pre-election advertising, debates, news and political shows, as well as election campaigning and public opinion polls. 

During the monitoring period, the Communications Commission will publish 2 interim reports and one summary report. The first interim report will cover the period between 27 August and 27 September, while the second report will cover the period between 28 September and 26 October.

Apart from media monitoring, the Communications Commission will actively enforce the standards and requirements outlined in the Election Code regarding the coverage of the pre-election campaign.

Before the start of the pre-election media campaign, the Communications Commission published a guide for broadcasters regarding the regulation of election issues that will help them comply with the legislation when covering the pre-election period. The purpose of the guide is to clarify for the broadcasters the issues that should be in full compliance with the Georgian legislation during the coverage of elections. The published document is of an informative and recommendatory nature, and will help broadcasters conduct their activities correctly. Furthermore, the views of the Communications Commission during the pre-election media monitoring, as well as the approaches employed by ComCom in cases of violation of the legislation, will be predictable for media representatives.

The guide explains in detail all the obligations that the legislation imposes on broadcasters during the aforementioned period, including the requirements for political advertising, as well as the duties of broadcasters regarding the placement of paid and free political advertising, the publication of public opinion polls and pre-election debates, in terms of both the content and the specified dissemination period. The document also provides an overview of the legal norms for holding the media accountable for violations of the legislation regulating election-related issues, including the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting, the Election Code, and the resolutions adopted by the Communications Commission.

In order to conduct qualitative media monitoring of the 2024 parliamentary elections to a high standard, Council of Europe expert Rasto Kuzel has trained the employees of the Communications Commission and qualitative media monitors in accordance with international standards and European methodology.

The Communications Commission has carried out qualitative pre-election media monitoring twice in the past, for the 2020 parliamentary elections and the 2021 municipal elections.