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Political Advertisements in Entertainment and Political Shows

September 21, 2012

Nino Tsagareishvili

Human Rights Center within the media monitoring project monitors hidden political, social and paid political ads during pre-election period. Human Rights Center monitors are observing hidden political ads in entertainment shows and apolitical programs. In the case of political program monitors observe if journalists express support to an electoral contestant or make statements against them. Monitoring doesn’t cover news programs.

Hidden ad signs were shown in the monologue of Vano’s Show that aired on Rustavi 2 on June 22. Though Vano’s Show is a comedy show, the frequency and nature of the show went beyond comedy and contained hidden political ads. For approximately five minutes host presented footage that showed how warmly people talked with president.  Host refers to him as a man of word. Then he addresses society with following phrase - did not he install gas for you in Khashuri?! This happens when he negatively jokes about opposition candidate Bidzina Ivansihvili and laughs at his plans. (At Guria assembly people were saying jokes about Gurians, finally Bidzina Ivansihvili came and opened paper were plans of Georgian Dream were written and continued jokes).

In the same monologue host jokes that President asked population to circle National Movement number five. After this he jokes that he and president traveled together and underlines twice that it lasted for five hours. Human Rights Center considers that emphasizing number five in this form serves aim to advertise electoral number of governing party.

1999 Recommendations of the Cabinet of Ministers of Council of Europe underlines that particular attention shall be paid to entertainment programs during pre-election period in order to prevent them from giving advantages to concrete political party or candidate and influencing voters. Although the mentioned monologue of the Vano’s Show was aired before official pre-election period, since regulations to ban hidden advertisements work in Georgia neither on legislative nor on self-regulation level, there is no mechanism to control similar cases even during pre-election.

Open support to a political party was shown on August 9 when during program Spektr on Kavkasia, host Davit Akubardia directly called on people to circle number 39 in elections. This number belongs to Green Party whose leader George Gachechiladze was his guest.

Another show that interested media monitors of Human Rights Center was talk-show Consilium which broadcasts on TV9. They often show Mikheil Saakashvili’s speeches and then during the program guests and host of the show criticize him. Author of the show doesn’t avoid to shows his position and he talks with irony about president with such epithets like “father-saver” and other.

According to Election Code of Georgia, media is obliged to follow election code and be independent and fair in political shows.

Council of Europe recommendations also calls to have fair impartial and balanced coverage of public and private interviews and debates.

Media Monitoring of Parliamentary Elections is implemented by financial support of International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) under the framework of four-year project Increased Trust in Electoral Process (ITEP) financed by USAID (US Agency for International Development).
                                                  
This blog is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the sole responsibility of Human Rights Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, USAID or the United States Government.                                                     

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