To contribute to the improvement of the electoral environment and to raise awareness of journalism students on election-related topics, the Election Administration [EA] has initiated a new educational project – the "Election Media School" [EMS] – in a pilot mode.

The EMS was opened by Giorgi Kalandarishvili, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission [CEC], who emphasized that the new project enables future journalists to obtain detailed information not only about elections themselves, but also about modern standards of covering electoral processes and the relevant legislative regulations.

According to the Chairperson, the project once again reaffirms the institution`s consistency and the strategic vision of the EA in terms of promoting youth engagement and enhancing their awareness: “The EA has launched another innovative educational project. This is a unique platform that provides future journalists with the opportunity to acquire basic knowledge about elections and election coverage. The goal is to ensure that they possess the necessary knowledge and qualifications to report objectively on various electoral issues and to deliver verified information to voters. The EMS is being implemented in a pilot format, which will allow us to further refine the content and logistics and to expand the scope of the project in the future”.

Giorgi Sharabidze, Deputy Chairperson of the CEC, addressed the participants of the project, emphasizing the importance of the training course in terms of improving the electoral environment. The meeting was moderated by the CEC Spokesperson, Natia Ioseliani, who provided the participants with detailed information about the project. Giorgi Sharabidze spoke about the history of elections in Georgia and guiding principles of the democratic electoral process.

The project participants will receive information and share experiences in the format of meetings and discussions with invited experts, alongside the leadership and representatives of the CEC. Over the course of two weeks, students will explore such important topics as: electoral systems and models of election administration; electronic elections; voting procedures; inclusive electoral environment; the role of the media in the electoral process; international practice; media rights and responsibilities in covering electoral processes; legislation and practice in force in Georgia; disinformation as a global challenge and ways to counter it; misconceptions and opinion formation, and more.

The training course includes both theoretical and practical learning. The project is being implemented within the framework of the memorandum between the CEC and the Youth Agency, as well as the memoranda signed between the CEC Training Center and higher education institutions.