Georgia tops ‘media freedom’ list of Eastern Partners
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Georgia has the highest degree of media freedom among Eastern Partnership countries, according to the Media Freedom Index of the Eastern Partnership countries survey.
The international study, released today, was conducted under the EaP Media Freedom Watch project and funded by the European Union (EU).
Georgian ranked top on the list, Moldova came in second and Ukraine followed in third place after switching places with Armenia since the previous survey, while Azerbaijan and Belarus were ranked lower on the list.
The survey, which covered the first half of this year, assessed only the level of freedom of speech and not the quality of journalism in partner countries.
In particular, the Media Freedom Index was calculated by summing up the points obtained by participant countries in four sections – Politics, Practice, Broadcasting and Internet and new media.
About 60 media experts were interviewed in order to compile the data.
The Eastern Partnership Media Freedom Index was compiled quarterly within the framework of the EaP Media Freedom Watch project and carried out by international public organisation Internews-Ukraine in partnership with non-governmental organisations of the Eastern Partnership countries.
PM Irakli Garibashvili briefly summed up Georgia’s past two years in his special public address today that marked the second anniversary of Georgia Dream winning the 2012 Parliamentary Elections and coming into power.
The report stated the country’s media environment had improved and was found to be "independent and balanced”. Television continued to be the main medium and primary source of information for 80 percent of the population.