Conclusion
The Georgian media landscape reflects the transitional nature of the Georgian democratic system, whereby government interference in the media through formal and informal leverages and strong political parallelism co-exist with strong activism to free and professionalise the media and build a public service broadcasting.
The system is dominated by television – a medium of choice for the majority of the population. The digital switchover and the liberalisation of the broadcast sector serve as strong incentives for the growth of television, as does the advertising market. However, the development of Internet infrastructure and skills, and the growing web consumption by young audiences will slowly shift the market from telecentric to web based.
Traditional media are building their presence on the web, experimenting with new forms of storytelling and business models. As young audiences continue to utilize to the fullest the potential of the web for news and public affairs exchange, more traditional media sources will gravitate towards the web and appear in web-only editions.
The trust in media will continue to diffuse, especially against the onslaught of Russian propaganda and various other sources of disinformation. Georgians will learn to be media literate – use multiple media sources of information and verify facts. Georgians will continue valuing the freedom of expression and press, which, to many, is the measure of the democracy available in the country.