The freedom of speech and the media are often violated in Georgia, the 2016 report on human rights practices, published by the US Department of State, says.
"Parliament’s failure to select all eight members of the reconfigured board of the Georgian Public Broadcaster for a third consecutive year amplified concerns about the politicization of the selection process and its negative impact on the ability of state-funded television and radio outlets to fulfill their programming responsibilities," the report says.
The report adds that the Georgian media remained politically polarized and provided the public only limited access to objective, neutral news. While the government officials periodically criticized certain media outlets, in most cases Rustavi 2, alleging a pro-opposition bias.
