Major Aspects and Frames in the Television Coverage of Social Protests: The Namakhvani HPP Case Study
Keywords:
Namakhvani HPP, Social Protest, Framing, Television Media, Public PerceptionAbstract
This article examines and analyzes the characteristics of media coverage of the social protests against the Namakhvani HPP project in Georgian television media. Public protests against the project were actively covered by Georgian television channels in 2020-2021. Four television channels were selected for the study: “Georgian Public Broadcaster”, “Imedi TV”, “Rustavi 2”, and “Palitra News”. These media outlets presented the protests in different accents, mainly through news formats. A total of 60 videos dedicated to the protests were analyzed using the video content analysis method. The theoretical framework of the study is based on framing theory, through which the frames identified in the television reports about the Namakhvani HPP protests were examined. The results of the study revealed a clear influence of the political affiliation of the television channels on their coverage. The protests were presented with more neutral and positive frames on “Georgian Public Broadcaster” and “Palitra News”, whereas “Imedi TV” and “Rustavi 2” emphasized the radical nature of the protests and the potential for destabilization. The study of the Namakhvani HPP protest coverage clearly demonstrates how social protests are framed in the media and how public opinion is shaped through different informational strategies. This research topic is relevant because the protest against the Namakhvani HPP was one of the most large-scale and prolonged social protests in recent Georgian history. It had significant resonance both within society and at the governmental level. The study of the protests against the Namakhvani HPP in the context of media effects is particularly important, as this issue has not been previously examined in a scientific context in Georgia. Consequently, this article contributes to filling the gap in academic research. Furthermore, there are no existing guidelines or ethical standards in the Georgian language for media coverage of similar issues.References
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