Media for Transparent and Accountable Governance (M-TAG) Quarterly Report

IREX implements the program with partner organizations Ethics Charter and management consulting group Innova. The program's objectives are achieved through coordinated activities in support of three objectives: Program Objective 1, Journalists demonstrate accurate and ethical reporting on public interest issues, including progress towards key government reforms; Program Objective 2, Regional media outlets demonstrate improved viability and transparency; and Program Objective 3, Access to balanced and relevant information increased in the occupied territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In April, IREX began implementing activities under the $500,000 extension from USAID. The additional funding allowed IREX to provide M-TAG's three media partners with studio and field production equipment, additional training, and the means to continue production of diversified content in multiple languages. Livepress.ge and qartli.ge also received funding for content production and furniture to create a more conducive working environment. IREX procured computers, field production, and field production equipment and began transferring them to the partners. IREX processed grants to seven media partners and began planning the trainings covered by the extension. In the reporting quarter, IREX staff and freelance trainers worked onsite with M-TAG partners, helping them develop video production skills and storytelling techniques. The program hosted three group events, including a two-day workshop on radio production, a three-day workshop on in-depth stories and feature reports, and a two-and-a-half-day training on how to prepare in-depth stories. The program also hosted 205 students from three universities, with five different programs, and provided training on secret recording and working with confidential sources. IREX evaluated the performance of 13 media outlets enrolled in the IREX's Media Sustainability Initiative. Two media outlets, Batumelebi and Borjomi TV, were unable to attend the evaluation due to personal reasons and had their evaluation postponed to September. IREX discontinued support to one partner, Chemi Imereti, due to slow adaptation to online production and difficulty in learning new skills. The remaining 14 partners showed mixed progress, with some making advancements in all areas and others making progress in some areas. The partners are now well-recognized brands in the Georgian market, with stable teams, management, and editorial processes. They have increased their skills in video production and editorial management and have become multiplatform publishers. IREX will provide evaluation notes to USAID on each partner and a summary of overall achievements and challenges in the next quarter as part of the annual report. The program has increased the number of likes on its Facebook page and has published five posts on project activities.