Journalists Are Strict about Their Colleagues

Ana Sheshaberidze

TV-Company “Imedi” breached the main principle of journalism and lied – said founders and subscribers of the Charter of Journalistic Ethic while commenting on the simulated Chronicle released by the Imedi TV on March 13. Natia Koberidze, anchor of the Special Reportage at the Imedi-TV, has also signed the Charter.

On March 13, after the Special Reportage was aired, entire Georgia started speaking about it because the break-news of the Chronicle reported about the new war. The people, who did not watch the telecast attentively, decided that Russian army was already close to Tbilisi. The journalists informed the audience before the Chronicle that the program was simulation. Later, Natia Koberidze said “the aim of the imitated telecast was prevention of the real threats from Russia.” Finally, it turned out that the telecast panicked people who started to buy lot of products and fuel. A woman died because of the reportage; pregnant women needed doctor’s assistance because of the nervousness.

Georgian Young Lawyers Association stated that the simulated reportage of the Chronicle on March 13 breached the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting and Broadcasting Code of Conduct which is normative act approved by the Georgian National Regulation Commission of Communications. Consequently, several articles of it are necessary to be followed. Imedi-TV breached Article 13 Part V of the Code of Conduct which claims that broadcaster shall not use performances and simulations in the news and public-political programs or each broadcasting reconstruction of real facts shall be clearly indicated.

Head of the GYLA Tamar Khidasheli said although before the reportage the journalist warned the audience that the telecast was simulated, many people started watching the reportage later and early warning was not enough.

According to young lawyers, there are special articles in the Code of Conduct which clarifies how the armed conflicts or emergency situations shall be reported. Article 51 regulates the violation where it is clearly written that in similar situations broadcaster shall be very careful about facts and respect emotions of the audience. TV-Company Imedi completely neglected the emotions of the audience.

Short time ago, first time in the history of Georgia, Charter of Journalistic Ethic was enacted; it has 11 paragraphs. The purpose of the Charter is to establish self-regulation mechanism in media which will assist journalists to resolve problems within ethic norms. The main requirement of the Charter for its subscribers is to report only the truth. TV-Company Imedi breached this principle.

After the reportage was aired, the Council of the Ethic Charter, although no complaints were filed to them yet, spread special statement. They have right to make statement if the subscriber of the Charter breaches the Charter principles. Natia Koberidze is not only the subscriber of the Charter but she is among founders. The reason of the statement was public interest as well.

The statement states that the anchor of the program Special Reportage Natia Koberidze was one of the founders and subscribers of the Charter of Journalistic Ethic. The Council intends to invite Natia Koberidze to the meeting and hear complete information from her.

According to the member of the Council and journalist Irakli Absnadze, Charter Council is concerned about the form and context of the reportage released by the Imedi-TV. He hopes the society will be active in order to enable the Council to carry out all necessary activities.

Here is the statement of the Council of the Charter of Journalistic Ethic:

“Council of Journalistic Ethic of Georgia was very considerate and concerned about the simulated chronicle aired by the TV-Company Imedi and the talk-show which is led by our co-founder and subscriber Natia Koberidze.

“In our short appeal we will not discuss minor facts of breaching standards of journalistic ethic. We will draw our attention to only grave mistakes:

“Journalist Natia Koberidze informed the audience about the particular format of the Chronicle at 7:59 pm and the Chronicle started at 8:00:23 pm. After the usual lead of the news program anchor Lazha Kharazishvili appeared in the authentic studio. Neither subtitle nor change in the interior indicated that the chronicle was simulated. The released reportages did not have the signs either.

“We, the Council of Journalistic Ethic of Georgia, condemn similar informational manipulation and request the administration of the corresponding department of the TV-Company Imedi and creative team of the reportage to clarify who was responsible for the mistake. Most part of the population was panicked because of the product of the creative group and breached the Broadcasting Code of Conduct of Georgia as well as Journalistic Ethic Code of Georgia. 

“Council members particularly appeal about our partner and subscriber of the Charter – anchor of the talk-show where the simulated reportage was released Natia Koberidze. We are sure she is fully aware that ethic principles worked out by the journalists of Georgia were breached.

• Journalist shall respect the truth and right of the society – to get correct information;
• Journalist shall report the information based only on the fact which has identified source. Journalist shall not hide important facts; shall not falsify documents and information;
• Media is entitled to correct published incorrect information which misleads society.

The statement was signed by the journalists: Beso Kurtanidze, Eliso Chapidze, Nino Zuriashvili, Irakli Kordzaia, Saba Tsitsikashvili, Ani Mirotadze, Ana Gochashvili, Nino Bekishvili, Roman Kevkhishvili, Natia Mikiashvili, Eka Vepkhvadze, Teona Gegelia, Nino Japaridze and Temur Chumburidze.

Member of the Council Nino Zuriashvili said the council will definitely discuss the problem. “Since the journalist is member of the Charter, we have right to make decision. Our preliminary opinion is that they did not announce the telecast was simulation and provided the society with inadequate information - so they lied,” said Nino Zuriashvili.

The Council had first meeting on March 4. The chairperson of the Council Eter Turadze will fix the date for the next meeting to discuss the problem of the Chronicle and to make final decision as well.

Journalist Eliso Chapidze is sure that journalists who worked on the reportage cannot differentiate journalism and fiction from each other.

Eliso Chapidze: “In the fiction you can invent facts. The main principle of journalism is to rely only on real facts. Thus, the Council concluded that Natia Koberidze and the creative team, whose members Giorgi Arveladze does not name, have breached the main principle of journalism – to respect the truth. Despite our sympathy to them, I can hardly imagine further professional activities of Lasha Kharazishvili and Natia Koberidze as anchors of serious analytic programs. After this program, naturally, all information reported by them will be doubtful; people will suspect it is simulation or imitation again.”

Eliso Chapidze thinks, broadcasting of the reportage was not decision of only the creative team of the Imedi-TV and it was planned long before because part of experts was requested by the governmental officials to take part in the talk-show.

The journalist assessed the telecast as irresponsible action and compared it with the film prepared about the November 7, 2007.

Eliso Chapidze: “Apparently, authors of both telecasts represent the government since Giorgi Arveladze is one of the oldest supporters of Mikheil Saakashvili since he occupied the position of the minister of justice. In this particular case, almost every ethic norms were breached. However, it cannot be used against the freedom of media. Unfortunately, the statements were already made that after this reportage media shall be controlled. We shall state very clearly that similar violations are not ethic and moral or legal sanctions shall be imposed by the National Regulation Commission of Communications.”

Ethic Council will make decision after meeting. The maximum punishment they can impose is dismissal of the journalist from the council. Similar activities will prevent other journalists from similar violations.

In regard with the simulated chronicle deputy head of the Georgian Media Production Group Eka Tsmalashvili made comment. She, as a responsible person, expressed her concern about their failure to clarify to the society that it was simulated Chronicle.

“We had serious disagreement and dispute about the issue; we could not agree how to release the program. Various groups worked on various parts of the program and we received the result what we all saw,” said Tsamalashvili.

On March 15, audio-recording of the phone-conversation between Eka Tsamalashvili and Giorgi Arveladze was published on the forum.ge; it was about the simulated reportage. Tsamalashvili and Arveladze later declared that the audio-recording was fabricated by the Russian Special Forces.

Regulation Commission of Communications ordered the TV-Company Imedi to apologize in public and admit that they have breached the law. The GYLA assessed the decision as inadequate. Imedi-TV shall apologize within 5 days.