Supporting Decrease of Media Polarization in Georgia and V4 States

The project aims to mitigate deepening media polarization in support of voters’ informed decision making in Georgia and V4 states by assessing internal and external political factors that stimulate polarization after the start of the war in Ukraine, as well as by promoting dialogue and experience exchange between media and civil society of Georgia and V4 States:

Georgia ⇨ Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP)

Slovakia ⇨ Strategic Analysis Think Tank

Hungary ⇨ Hungarian Europe Society

Czech Republic ⇨ Masaryk University

Poland ⇨ Foundation Institute of Public Affairs

Project proposal focuses on the critical challenges of media polarization and responds to the questions about how to cope with increasing pressure and make media more accountable. The project also aims to distinguish the mechanisms to mitigate polarization in the media and find the ways of how media can facilitate political debate to help voters make informed decisions based on the best practices. Under the scope of the project, partner organizations will:

• Develop a joint policy paper assessing the media polarization in Georgia, sharing the experiences of the V4 states;
• Organize an online public discussion together with Georgian and V4 media representatives about the domestic and international issues boosting polarisation in target states;
• Organize at least closed briefings for the media producers, editors and the leads of the political TV shows, and representatives of the radio, printing and online press agencies;
• Hold the final presentation of the research findings and the study trip results’
• Create multimedia video products together with the Georgian and V4 state journalists about one internal and one external political issue that polarises the media and society in general.