Irakli Managadze
Several days ago, the journalists of the TV Company “Imedi” spread statement where they fixed May 6 as a deadline for the TV Company board to stop censorship in the company. The statement was prepared by a group of journalist. It was initiated by Tengo Mezurnishvili, chief producer of the TV Company “Imedi”. After the statement was spread, the board of the TV Station conducted so-called inner investigation and demanded Mezurnishvili to leave the channel.
“I was told to leave the company since our opinions do not coincide with each other. Bidzina Baratashvili and Aleko Parulava were talking with me. I wonder - does impartiality mean to think in different way? Now I am at home. I am waiting for their final decision. I will not write resignation letter myself,” Tengo Mezurnishvili stated to the Human Rights Center.
Vakho Mamaladze, sport news presenter at the TV Imedi, was collecting the signatures together with Mezurnishvili. Now, it is not identified yet whether he will stay at the company or not. Aleko Parulava called him to his office and demanded to leave the company. “I do not know yet what will happen. I am waiting for the final decision of the board. We will use other forms of protest as well,” said Vakho Mamaladze in his conversation with the Human Rights Center.
As for the signing of the statement, one part of the journalists has not signed it and another one refrains. All in all, 64 journalists of the TV Company “Imedi” have signed the statement. Among them are five correspondents for the news program “Kronika”. Former correspondents of the TV Company “Mze” who currently work for Imedi did not sign the statement. Biggest part of the journalists for the “Kronika” refrains to sign the statement.
The journalists prepared the statement on May 4 and requested to change the information policy and to abolish the censorship. Below you can read the statement prepared by the journalists to Bidzina Baratashvili, director of the company, and to Aleko Parulava, director of News-Analytic Programs of the TV Company.
"Personnel of the TV Company Imedi protest the policy of the editorial board. More precisely we think the news- covering of the company is biased.
Soon after the new TV season started in September of 2008 and first news-program was released, there was meeting at the company where the journalists were banned to record or interview certain group of parliamentary opposition and experts.
We were banned to prepare news-items about the problems of IDPs because it could create problems for the government.
The camera-men were banned to record the rallies of the opposition parties so that the number of demonstrators was not seen properly.
Without any explanation the most important part of the Patriarch’s appeal was blocked where he appealed to the law enforcers.
Without any explanation the reportage about opening the Mtatsminda Park was blocked in the 20:00 “Kronika”; the author of the news-item spoke about the deed of Badri Patarkatsishvili in the reconstruction of the park.
Journalists were ordered to use work victim instead of IDP and “cage” instead of “cell”.
We think that topics of the news-programs are arranged inadequate to the current events in Georgia.
Physical assaults of the people and comments regarding these incidents were not released in the main new-programs of the day. The news-room did not interview those people and did not inquire their health conditions though they broadcast the operative materials of the Ministry of Interior every day which aims to discredit the demonstrators.
We are aware of our journalistic responsibility to the society and audience to whom we are accountable because they expect us to be partial. We believe that each journalist should prepare impartial, unbiased and reliable news-coverage of the current events. In order to protect the professional ethic and freedom of expression of the journalists of the TV Company; and other personnel of the TV Company to share our responsibilities to the society,; we urge the board of the TV Company to find the way out of the current complicated situation and work out the mechanisms for gaining back the past trust of people and honor of the Imedi TV.
We hope you will accept our offer; we think this issue should be attended immediately and wait for your decision before the end of the working day on May 6.”
According to our information journalists Ani Gochashvili and Nini Sakvarelidze are not going to return to the TV Company “Imedi”. They confirmed the information in their conversation with the Human Rights Center.
Before that, two more journalists Tea Sichinva and Diana Trapaidze left the TV Company.
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