Environmental Journalism in Georgia: A Critical Assessment of Current Practices

ანოტაცია

This article explores how and at what stage environmental and climate issues become topics of media interest—gaining informational relevance and socio-political significance—and to what extent we encounter the practice where environmental and climate-related topics fail to enter the media agenda unless they involve an element of sensationalism. The study is based on a multifaceted analysis that includes various academic and journalistic research, statistical data, and in-depth interviews with experts. The analysis of this material provides an understanding of what types of environmental issues appear in the media sphere and at what stage they are covered. The lack of discussion around these topics has diminished public attention toward crucial issues such as environmental protection and climate change. Observation of recent media content shows that environmental topics have become relatively secondary for the media, despite the fact that these are precisely the issues reflecting systemic challenges—challenges whose neglect could lead to more tragic consequences in the future. Therefore, it is the media’s responsibility not only to respond to outcomes but also to increase the frequency of reporting on topics that may not be considered “news” today, yet may become tomorrow’s tragedy—tragedies that could be prevented or at least mitigated through early awareness. The paper discusses several specific cases that only received media attention after the events took on a dramatic character—such as the tragedies in Shovi and Baghdati, the incident in the village of Nergeeti, and the landslide hazard zone in Vashlijvari. However, the article also describes opposite practices. The main focus of the study is on the Georgian media as an institution that is overly oriented toward sensationalism rather than prevention. To illustrate this, three examples from the recent past are analyzed.