Echo of the Caucasus names a successful alternative to Russian propaganda
By Anastasia Sokhadze
Friday, March 13
The participants discussed Russia's destructive policies towards Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, as well as ways to cope with it.
One of the witnesses, Olesya Vartanyan, who is one of the International Crisis Group employees, spoke up about the situation in the country and the regions which are occupied by Russia. She named Echo of the Caucasus to be the perfect example of successfully shedding light on the situation in the occupied areas.
“Georgia is a country that offers good lessons to others, including Ukraine. In 2009, Radio Liberty launched a new Russian-language program, Echo of the Caucasus, which is part of the Georgian Service, a program that brings together journalists from the breakaway regions and the rest of Georgia,” Vartanyan stated on the hearing.
She also stated that “often, it is the only alternative to Russia’s propaganda.It’s how to get started despite all the difficulties and how you give voice to the other side. You give them a chance to work with you and get in touch with you. information from reliable and good sources.”
Echo of the Caucasus, like the radio station of the same name, is dedicated to covering Samachablo and Abkhazia, two Russian breakaway republics of Georgia, and is part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a media group funded by the US Congress. The Service’s Russian-language Echo of the Caucasus unit provides an uncensored alternative to Kremlin-controlled information in the separatist regions of Abkhazia and Samachablo, and a platform for informed and open exchange of information and ideas.
