The Minister of Infrastructure visited the construction site of the Kvesheti-Kobi road in the Khadi Gorge together with representatives of pro-government television stations. The visit followed a journalistic investigation by Mtis Ambebi, which reported serious violations identified during the implementation of the project. According to Mtis Ambebi, the Ministry informed the media about the visit only on the previous evening, leaving the outlet unable to attend the site visit. Nevertheless, the Minister’s subsequent statements created the impression that critical media were not interested in the project and were criticizing it without sufficient grounds.
At the same time, the pro-government radio station Ai Utsnobi released an AI-generated video depicting journalists from critical media outlets attempting to ask the Prime Minister questions while he plays the piano. The video was accompanied by the text: “The Prime Minister and the journalists – the dog barks, the caravan moves on.”
Both episodes can be viewed as part of the continuing campaign to discredit critical media. Such messaging undermines the legitimacy of journalists’ professional activities, portrays questions concerning matters of public interest as unfounded criticism or obstruction, and contributes to an increasingly hostile environment for critical media. In Georgia, the discrediting of independent and critical media by government representatives and affiliated actors has become a persistent pattern.
