Internews nonprofit study: Georgia's information ecosystem "rich and plural" but "many challenges" remain
The six-month study was compiled in three parts and analyses information sources, citizen trust in outlets, roles of technology and more from the Georgian media landscape. Photo via Internews.
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A study into how information is acquired by citizens of Georgia, as well as their attitudes to its sources, says the local information ecosystem is "rich and plural", however "many challenges" remain in the field.
Released by the Internews media nonprofit and funded by Facebook, the report was compiled following a survey of over 1300 individuals as well as interviews and analysis of more than 12,000 social media posts.
Published in three parts, it sought to study means of information exchange in Georgia, trust or lack of thereof in media outlets and other sources of information, the changing forms of dissemination platforms and technology and more.
Presented as "the first study of its kind to ever be conducted in Georgia", findings of the Information Ecosystem Assessment study included observations that Georgian citizens use television as the main source of information on public affairs, and more than two thirds of them use social media for the goal.
It also revealed that ethnic minorities shared a frustration with the lack of content relevant to their issues in mainstream media and 55 percent of the total population viewed media as being politically partisan.
Areas of concern identified in the examination involved "polarising, aggressive messaging" on social media groups and the lack of "consistent and effective information verification skills" among the population when dealing with information sources.
Outlining recommendations for actors in the information sphere, the three parts of the report deal with separate subjects. The first part is dedicated to analysis of citizens' sources of information and the overall context, while the second part deals with production, distribution and consumption of information. Part three explores questions of engagement, trust and behaviour related to media and information.
Working over a period of six months last year, five researchers were involved in producing the IEA in every region of the country "with a team of local researchers and experts", Internews said.