Browsing by Author "Toradze, Maia"
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Item Challenges of Gender Equality in Media (Case of Georgia)(2020) Gersamia, Mariam; Toradze, Maia; Markariani, LianaAccording to UNESCO’s World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development report, while there is progress, women journalists are still more exposed to assault, threat or physical, verbal or digital attack than their male counterparts (UNESCO, 2018). Georgia (country) faces challenges regarding feticide, domestic violence, employment of women, early or forced marriages, sexual harassment, blackmailing of female journalists, and there is a low awareness about gender equality. According to international reports (MSI, Freedom House) the media landscape in Georgia is partly free. The goal of the research is to analyze the media landscape in Georgia from a gender equality perspective and provide recommendations for raising awareness on gender- sensitive issues. According to EBU gender equality guidelines (2019), in Europe, women represent 44% of the public service media workforce, but only 25% of executive positions. Stereotypes and biases persist in media and there is an urgent need to show a realistic picture. Media figures can strengthen or reduce stigmatization and stereotypes regarding groups and individuals. Traditionally, the news industry has been dominated by men (Ross et al., 2018) and researchers argue (Melin-Higgins, 2014; Ruoho & Torkkola, 2018) that woman in media often have top positions in woman’s magazines or in media product about beauty at etc. However, in Georgia analysis confirms the hypothesis, that women are dominated in the media sector (and not only in woman’s magazines). As to the positioning, according to GMMP’s replication study (2015), there were 88% Female and 12% Male presenters (Macharia et al., 2015) in Georgia. In addition, Also in Georgian media organizations, 48% of reporters were female and 52 Male (Connor et al., 2010). Study answers research questions as it follows: • RQ 1: is there gender inequality regarding workplace and positions in Georgian media (TV, print, radio, online)? • RQ 2: what are the themes covered by women and men journalists? • RQ 3: what gender-related issues do women face in media organizations? To answer the above-mentioned questions, mixed methodological approaches have been be used: content-analysis (Research Period: 2019: from June 1 till December 31) and survey (225 journalists have been interviewed in April, 2020). Recommendations (based on findings) are provided for media organizations, educators and media practitionersItem Covid-19 Infodemic and Fake News in Georgian Social Media(Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi state university, Faculty of social and political sciences, 2021-06) Toradze, Maia; Markariani, LianaThe mankind has been battling fake news, misinformation and propaganda for years, however, this problem has become more threatening and persistent with the advancement of technologies. It is well-known, that spreading of any fake news needs a precondition – an event, which causes the intensity of its spread in a specific time. Recently, this precondition has become COVID-19 pandemic, about which an overabundance of information can be observed in traditional and new media. Thus, it is interesting and vital to research what place the fake news has held in information flow and what influence it has had on a society in a crisis. The significance of our research lies in the fact that it is conducted during the pandemic and examines the topics that are most often subjected to fraud. Scientific research about the origin of fake news and the consequences of its spread will help us share correct and verified information and aid the fight against fake news. The aim of this research is to demonstrate the causes and manipulators of the fake news, which was spread during COVID-19. Also to find out mainly what type of information is faked and what is the reason behind this (the ways of treating COVID-19, faked statistics, where the virus comes from, anti-vax movement, etc.). The study, in the future, will make a consequential contribution to combating misinformation and preventing its negative effects. In the research process, we observed the information about the corona virus published on the social media, particularly on Facebook, monitored the original sources of the information, separated the falsified information from the main information flow and identified the prime manipulators. The study was conducted over a one year period, from March 2020 to March 2021. On the first stage of the research, these hypotheses were developed: H1: During infodemic, the sharing of fake news and misleading of media users increases. H2: The information, which was spread on social media about COVID-19 is harmful and alarming, as it can have damaging influence on an individual‟s health. The research was based on the theory of Uses and Gratification. The following research questions were formed by the analysis of the theoretical framework: RQ1: What is the comparative share of Covid-19 information on the websites, that are regarded as original sources, during the infodemic? RQ2: What type of fake news was shared on social media about COVID-19? RQ3: Which specific manipulators are included in fake news about the spread of COVID-19? RQ4: What kind of responses and feedbacks does the fake news have (likes and shares)? RQ5: what were the impacts and results of the spread of fake news about COVID- 19? Quantitative and qualitative content analysis were used in the research, as well as a form of qualitative research - in-depth interviews conducted with media experts, psychologists and physicians. In this paper the fake news is structured by types and contents and the reasons for the origin of fake news and its influence on social media users is analyzed.Item Gender stereotypes in Georgian media(Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi state university, Faculty of social and political sciences, 2021-06) Gersamia, Mariam; Toradze, Maia; Goksadze, MarinaThis research analyzes the challenges in Georgian media (TV, radio, print and online) from gender equality perspective and answers the questions as it follows: How to change dominant gender-related stereotypes in news organizations? how to reduce gender-related stereotypes in news coverage? How to cover domestic violence and femicide in ethical and ecological way? To answer the following questions qualitative research has been conducted in 2021. Using grounded analysis as strategy, mixed/hybrid methods for coding have been used and included both - deductive and inductive approaches. The data have been collected from focus-groups (N=4) and all participants (N=25) were chosen from media organizations. The media pool consisted of prominent journalists and talk-show/news presenters, top and middle ranked managers (editors, producers). Qualitative data corpus for analysis consisted of transcripts and notes (including body-language and tone remarks, changes of ideas and interesting points). Content has been clarified, classified and synthesized into the main topics and sub- categories. Analysis is based on comparison of the information obtained from both single discussion group and between different ones and suggests the ways for empowering female journalists and reframing existing gender-related stereotypes in media organizations; as well as adjusting covering of domestic violence and trauma reporting. The main findings are as it follows: Focus-group participants agree that perception of journalism as a profession has been changed over time, but gender-biased stereotypes still exist in the newsrooms. The challenge is establishing the ethical standards while covering gender-sensitive stories (domestic violence included) and the main reason for it remains lack of knowledge and skill-based competencies. As for combating bulling and blackmailing female journalists, groups appealed media organizations and journalists for expressing solidarity, more promptly. Groups agree that for battling dominant gender-related stereotypes, it is fundamental to create alternative discourse and narrative in media, as well as to promote discussions and diverse groups. Lack of such platforms and planning process in media is mostly caused by political agenda dominated in the newsrooms. In this regard, another challenge is gender-biased media-positioning of female politicians and business women in talk- shows and news stories, which is partly caused by stereotypical self-representation of female respondents.Item Media Psychology: Challenges of Competence-Based Curricula and Employment(Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi state university, Faculty of social and political sciences, 2019-06) Gersamia, Mariam; გერსამია, მარიამ; Toradze, Maia; ტორაძე, მაიაThe purpose of this research is to identify the core competencies for media psychology curricula and common criteria, which employers consider in the process of employing media psychologists. The research holds significance for adjusting interdisciplinary educational programs and in particular, advancing media psychologists’ competency matrix (graduate program’s learning outcomes). This research answers the questions as it follows: 1. What core educational competencies/learning outcomes are to be met by media psychologists (by completing graduate level)? 2. According to what criteria (in employers’ opinion), knowledge and skill-based competencies media psychologists might be employed in Georgia? 3. What are the basic gaps and recommendations to be considered for adjusting higher educational programs? Employers from 35 organizations (media, marketing and research organizations, governmental and non-governmental agencies) in Georgia answered the close and open-ended questions in 2018. Media psychology is an emerging sphere and in Georgia it has already started to develop in an interdisciplinary context. The field might have a unique condition for development in the region for its unique media landscape: Georgian media managed to survive under omnipresent Soviet propaganda, but the legacy still looms large on the country’s media landscape. For now, Georgia is in a condition of so-called hybrid war and struggles with anti-western propaganda. According to the results, 71 % of employers do not have in staff media psychologists and up to 45 % wish to employ specialists with such competencies; there is a low awareness about media psychologists and 39 % still do not know if they want to employ them in Georgia. Still 75 % of employers would offer a trial period to them. The majority of the respondents (82%) answers, was that knowledge and skill based competencies with emphasis of psychology are critically important (61 %) or important (21 %) for journalists (in particular); 88 % of employers think that media employees should have a good understanding of the negative and positive phenomena/effects of Media (TV, Radio, Print and online) products, and that they should be ethical (reduce stigmatization and strengthening stereotypes, not use hate speech, etc.); They should know, how fake, biased news and propaganda effects peoples’ minds and their perception of reality. According to the research, the core competencies for media psychology curricula have been shaped. The research is a valuable resource for educators in modernizing educational programs by taking into consideration employment requirements and fine-tuning accreditation standards.