**Georgia’s Broadcasting Law to be Amended**
The Chairman of the Human Rights Protection Committee, Rati Ionatamishvili, has said that amending the country’s broadcasting law is essential for strengthening state sovereignty. He made this statement during a parliamentary plenary session discussing planned changes to the law.
**Media Funding and Control**
Ionatamishvili believes that external funding of media leads to censorship. He stated that when the media is controlled by foreign forces, its agenda and goals change, and it no longer serves the public interest. Instead, it promotes a specific agenda dictated by its financiers, which may not align with national interests.
**USAID Funding**
Ionatamishvili cited recent developments in the US regarding USAID, which funded over 700 media outlets, 6,200 journalists, and more than 300 NGOs across 30 countries. He noted that these organizations were bound by a “strategic silence policy,” which involves restricting information, manipulating content, and avoiding certain topics.
**Proposed Amendments**
The proposed changes to the Broadcasting Law aim to prevent broadcasters from receiving funding in exchange for social advertisements or other forms of indirect support from foreign forces. Additionally, foreign forces will be prohibited from purchasing services from broadcasters, financing program production, or co-financing broadcasting activities (except for commercial advertisements and product placements).
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