Council of Europe Expert Trains ComCom Monitors for the Media Monitoring of the Parliamentary Election Period

In order to conduct media monitoring for the 2024 parliamentary elections in a qualified and high standard, members of the media monitoring group of the Communications Commission have been given a two-stage cycle of trainings. With the support of the Council of Europe, the trainings were held within the framework of the “Freedom of Expression and Media Support in Georgia” project.
The purpose of the trainings is for the Communications Commission to provide the public with qualitative media monitoring results in relation to specific broadcasters, along with quantitative results of media monitoring.
During the first stage, ComCom staff were trained by the Council of Europe expert Rasto Kuzel and received detailed knowledge of the European media monitoring standards and methodology. By sharing international practice, the expert introduced ComCom representatives to the features and specifics of high-quality media monitoring during election campaigns, based on which the ComCom employees are themselves training the monitors in conducting media monitoring in accordance with internationally recognised standards.
During the second stage, ComCom representatives, under the supervision and guidance of the expert, trained media monitors in qualitative media monitoring. The training included both theoretical and practical work, and the monitors worked on topics such as the legal framework for media coverage of the 2024 elections, quantitative and qualitative analysis, data management and analysis for media monitoring, as well as report preparation. In accordance with professional and ethical standards, the monitors learned the coverage standards to be considered in qualitative analysis, data recording, reporting, tone assessment, and direct and indirect time counting through practical assignments.
In accordance with the Georgian legislation, the Communications Commission will start pre-election media monitoring of the 2024 parliamentary elections on 27 August, and will monitor up to 55 TV broadcasters 24 hours a day. Both quantitative and qualitative media monitoring will be carried out on 7 broadcasters at the best time period of 19:00 to 24:00. During the monitoring process, up to 30 specially trained monitors will monitor election advertising, election debates, news and political programmes, as well as pre-election agitation and public opinion polls.
Media monitoring will be carried out up to and including the voting day, reports on which will be published by the Communications Commission. ComCom conducted qualitative pre-election media monitoring twice – for the 2020 parliamentary elections, and the 2021 municipal elections.