Government Approves Communication Strategy, Prioritizing Combating Disinformation and Fake News
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
The Georgian government administration reported that at a government meeting, led by Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, the members of the Cabinet of Ministers discussed the 13 issues on the agenda and approved the draft of the decree outlining the communication strategy of the Government of Georgia for the years 2024-2027.
According to the head of the government's administration, the document is structured into three chapters. The first chapter provides an overview of the information environment, the second outlines the government's communication vision and goals, and the third is dedicated to monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the strategy.
"This document defines three important goals. First, the production of communication relevant to national interests and based on values, with five associated tasks defined. The second goal of the strategy is to combat disinformation, addressing the respective visions of our services in this direction. The third goal focuses on institutional perfection within the strategic communications system," stated Revaz Javelidze.
The government administration emphasized that the communication strategy is based on the national policy document approved by the government in 2023 - "Vision 2030 Development Strategy of Georgia," and it is fully consistent with the country's long-term development vision, strategic priorities, goals, and objectives.
"The purpose of the document developed by the Government of Georgia is to establish a unified vision for a proactive, consistent, and coordinated communication system between the government and the public. This system aims to increase awareness among the country's population while aligning with the long-term communication goals of the Government of Georgia.
One of the priority goals of the strategy is to combat disinformation and fake news. This involves strengthening efforts in the fight against disinformation and concurrently developing the capabilities of strategic communication units within state agencies," the administration's statement reads.
As per the statement, representatives from the strategic communications units of Georgian government agencies, along with international and local experts, participated in the collaborative effort to develop the document. This also included representatives from the strategic communications of the National Security Council, NATO, and the European Union Information Center.
According to the government administration, under the program 'Strategic Communications for a Better Future' funded by the US State Department for strategic purposes, a systematic study of the strategic communications of Georgian government agencies was conducted. This study highlighted challenges in this direction, while also identifying opportunities for the development of strategic communications.
