I chose Media Palitra after a long thought, and did so based on a single criterion that this holding had no one behind it either from the government or the opposition.

There are perhaps few media outlets in today’s Georgia without vested political interests. Palitra is certainly holding an outstanding place among them. This is a rare media business in Georgia. In other words, its money entirely originates from media proper. In contrast the mainstream media outlets often sit in the lap of political barons or using post-Soviet coinage – oligarchs.

Recently  we – Georgian journalists – visited Ukraine. There most of the media is in the hands of oligarchs. Ukrainian experts say that the situation is horrendous. The reason is simple: an oligarch, who made fortune through various legal or clandestine means, sees the media as either luxurious child or tool for manipulation and therefore easily betrays principles of loyalty, falls under the influence of the Authorities and remorselessly uses his or her media outlet for political reasons. That is why it is so important for a country to have businessmen who make money solely by means of his or her media. This means well tuned commercially viable media. Perhaps you now see where I am getting at. I am not at all a supporter of instantly tagging everything politically. Certainly, the revenue office is supposed to check any business without exclusion. No business shall be exempted from such checkups, as the Georgian Parliamentary speaker put it. Yet, you will also agree that when they simultaneously enter no less than six commercial entities of a single media holding, especially when this happens just days from the extensive coverage of the 26 May events by the holding, suspicion will undoubtedly cross your heart.

That is why we eye these developments with suspicion. That is why our colleagues show solidarity and support us. That is why I am not sure that the Authorities do comprehend how dearly the country needs for its democratic development those media outlets which are purely revenue-driven!