How journalists fought against Georgia’s proposed law on foreign agents

In early March, protests erupted in Georgia against the passage of the new Foreign Influence Transparency Law, which local civil society and foreign organizations see as an analogy to Russia’s infamous law on foreign agents. The authorities, who seemed unwavering in their intention to pass the law, subsequently withdrew it.

The Transparency of Foreign Influence Act would have required media and NGOs that received more than 20% of their funding from foreign donors to register as foreign agents. According to the forecasts of many local and foreign experts and politicians, this would allow to control and restrict the activities of dissidents and hamper Georgia’s civil society, democracy and Euro-Atlantic prospects.

The protests against the law, in which many thousands of demonstrators took part, took place in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi in early March. They were spontaneous and had no direct organizers, but many Georgian media figures believe that their channels played a key role in laying the groundwork for them. The outlets had brought the legislation to the public’s attention and explained how it could affect the country’s future.

unity and excitement

Independent media were the first to launch a fight against the law. More than 60 media outlets signed a joint statement saying they had no intention of working “under a label” and refused to be registered as “agents of foreign influence”. If the law were passed, it meant they would either have to close down or make the decision to relocate and register in another country.

Mariam Nikuradze, the co-director of OC Media, which reports on the South Caucasus, said the outlet would consider registering in neighboring Armenia to circumvent the law if it were passed.

Against the background of strained relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Georgia has remained neutral. Many media and international organizations that focus their work on the South Caucasus region have therefore decided to set up their headquarters there.

“Unanimity among the media and civil society organizations refusing to register as agents is the only correct approach,” said representative of Georgia’s Charter of Journalistic Ethics Mariam Gogosashvili, who also stressed how independent media outlets are closed in Russia after the Foreign Agents Act was passed.

Georgian journalists also joined the protests by covering them, noted Nino Kakhishvili, editor of Netgazeti. The last time this happened was in 2017, when Azerbaijani dissident journalist Afgan Mukhtarli was kidnapped in Tbilisi.

Netgazeti has received foreign funding for more than 10 years. “[Grants] give us the opportunity to create a quality media product while remaining independent in all conditions. The law on foreign agents would hit us and other similar media outlets critical of the authorities in the first place,” Kakhishvili said.

Amid the protests, the media attempted to inform audiences by explaining the legislation and the consequences its passage would have on ordinary residents of the country.

“We had to convey the problem to our readers by any means available, addressing the most diverse and non-obvious aspects. We have repeatedly emphasized that the authorities want to pass this law to silence independent media and thereby drown out critical voices,” said Kakhishvili. “We’ve talked about organizations that receive foreign funding and use that money to help the most vulnerable populations, such as people with Down syndrome. We’ve collected interviews and commentary from celebrities and authorities from across the country, including scientists, athletes and artists. Some of them only found out about the bill after we asked them to comment.”

Joking that journalists on websites and social media “attacked literally everyone with the issue,” she stressed how the law contradicts Georgia’s move to Europe.

“Gradually, more and more people began to understand what was happening. One by one, universities, sports clubs and other organizations began issuing statements of protest. As a result, at 7 Parliament came what our authorities obviously did not expect,” Kakhishvili stated.

The battle is won – but not the war

Georgian media navigated how to participate in the protests in early March while reporting on them at the same time. The Netgazeti team was split: some employees attended the rallies directly, others covered for them. The JAMnews team combined the roles, protested and reported.

“We spent the whole time in full force on the square in front of Parliament, without going to the editorial office. We filmed and interviewed, then sat on the steps or sidewalk – with our computers on our knees – writing reports and editing the footage,” recalls JAMnews Editor-in-Chief Margarita Akhvlediani.

After the special forces used water cannons and tear gas against protesters on March 7, some media outlets published safety instructions at rallies: what clothes to wear, how to protect yourself from tear gas, and more.

The confrontation seemed to last a while. On March 9, however, the authorities surprisingly withdrew the bill.

The protesters may have won the battle but not the war, Akhvlediani believes: although the bill has been withdrawn, the authorities have not completely given up on their goal. “Now there is a real information war going on. The government and pro-government media and bloggers are doing their best to get society on their side and convince them that Georgia will benefit from the Foreign Agents Law,” she said. “Independent media now have an even greater responsibility than before — to defy and not be fooled by state propaganda. Our task is to explain the connection in as much detail as possible. In the end, society decides what happens to the country. And it largely depends on independent media for society to make the right choice.”

Colleagues from other countries who may find themselves in a similar situation, advises Akhvlediani to first overcome the feeling of powerlessness in the face of the propaganda machine.

“Independent media never have as many resources as the authorities. But that doesn’t mean we’re powerless,” she said. “The well-known saying ‘Do what you can and come what may’ comes in very handy here. We can inform the public and try to convince as many people as possible, including other journalists.”

Pictured: Tbilisi protests, photo courtesy of JAMnews.

This article was originally published on our Russian website. It was translated into English by Nick Flynt.