Announcement of 'Shuki' journalism award laureates in Georgia: promoting professionalism

The Shuki (Light) journalistic prize winners have been announced in Georgia, with three recipients each receiving a cash reward of 1,000 euros.

The prize was established through collaboration between the Caucasus regional media portal JAMnews (GoGroupMedia organization) and the Estonian Center for International Development and Cooperation (ESTDEV).

The winning authors include:

● Nino Tsverava, an investigative journalist from Monitor studio;

● Gela Mtivlishvili, editor of Mti News;

● Jaba Ananidze, an investigative journalist at Batumelebi online publication.

The winners

Gela Mtivlishvili, journalistic investigation “Seized forests in Racha”

The journalist delved into the story of the alienation of a unique forested area in the mountainous region of Racha in Western Georgia.

A year ago, over 80 local villagers were surprised to discover that a third of the forest where they reside had been transferred to oligarch businessman David Khidasheli, who is closely associated with the Russian president Putin’s circle.

The journalist uncovered that the transfer of the territory occurred in violation of the law and in complete secrecy from local residents, environmentalists, public organizations, and the media. This transfer, spanning tens of thousands of hectares, posed a threat to private property and the livelihoods of the villagers.

“This decision violates both national laws and European conventions. It creates environmental and historical absurdities. With their own hands, the authorities formalize control over the lands of Georgia for Russia, the occupying country,” writes Gela Mtivlishvili.

Nino Tsverava, journalistic investigation “Abandoned champions”

The investigation focused on a team of Paralympic wrestlers left without funding.

Due to governmental indifference, dozens of athletes had to self-finance their travel to international competitions for years. Faced with insufficient funds, they resorted to taking out loans and endured travel conditions unsuitable for individuals with disabilities.

The investigation uncovered a potential corruption scheme within the National Arm Wrestling Federation.

Despite the Federation appointing a coach for the team, who received a substantial bonus from the state budget, athletes claim that the national team coach never participated in their training. They suspect that the bonus money allocated by the state was distributed among the federation’s employees, while the actual trainers worked without any additional remuneration.

The journalist dedicated approximately six months to this investigative report.

Jaba Ananidze, article “I am the coordinator of a dream”

The author embarked on uncovering the election scheme employed by the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Under the guise of an employment program for socially vulnerable individuals, authorities offer jobs in villages, such as janitors or security guards. The journalist examined the workings of this program in several villages in the Achara region.

It was discovered that, for instance, in the village of Kokotauri in the Keda district, 23 people are responsible for cleaning a single village road. In the village of Didachara in the Khulo district, 20 employees work in a kindergarten, including five socially vulnerable individuals, despite having only 33 pupils in the kindergarten.

Many of these workers revealed to the journalist that they were either invited to become local coordinators for the Georgian Dream party or had close ties to the party.

The author of the article believes that the authorities are exploiting the employment program for socially vulnerable people for their own political purposes. He emphasizes that the program is set to conclude in the spring of 2025, following the crucial parliamentary elections scheduled for the fall of 2024 in Georgia.

What is the journalistic award ‘Shuki’?

The Shuki journalistic prize was established through collaboration between the Caucasus regional media portal JAMnews and the Estonian Center for International Development and Cooperation (ESTDEV).

ESTDEV is a government-funded foundation responsible for managing and implementing Estonia’s international development cooperation and humanitarian assistance projects.

The program spans one year, comprising four rounds. The competition is scheduled every three months, with three winners announced in each round.

A permanent jury, consisting of both Georgian and foreign journalists and media experts, oversees the awards.

JAMnews, as the initiator of the award, does not partake in material selection. The project operates independently of the publication, having its own administration.

“In the initial round, over 50 journalists submitted applications. The jury faced a challenging decision among diverse journalistic works on compelling topics, meeting high standards,” says Tiko Basharuli, project coordinator in Georgia.

“The primary goal of this award is to support journalists. We aim to recognize authors who produce professional journalism. We hope this award serves as an additional incentive for our colleagues to sustain their work at a high level,” states Sopho Bukia, the editor-in-chief of the Georgian service at JAMnews.

Applications for the second round of the award will commence on January 10, 2024. The names of the second-round Shuka winners will be disclosed in March of the following year.

A tour to Estonia for journalists

In addition to the award, a professional tour to Estonia for Georgian journalists is planned as part of the joint program. Participants in the group will have the opportunity to meet Estonian colleagues, familiarize themselves with the specifics of local media work, and take part in various educational events.

Details about the start of accepting applications for the tour and the conditions will be published in early 2024.