Journalistic Expression in Social Networks: The case of Georgia

AbstractThe freedom of expression is a right recognized in all the developed countries of the world, and its protection is a priority in a democratic society. Despite that, recently there have been a number of reports that published information about cases of journalists dismissed from work due to the fact that they expressed their viewpoint on social networks.The goal of the research is the identification of the situation existing in Georgia with regards to the freedom to express viewpoints on social networks. In other words, it looks into whether or not editorial boards have their own media policy, if they do (or do not) impose certain restrictions on their journalists, and how ethical are comments made by journalists on social networks over the issue they are working on.The research uses a qualitative research method- in-depth interview. Therefore, in this context, the editors of the four highest-rated newspapers and seven media experts in Georgia have been polled. The results have shown that according to the majority of the sample, it is unethical for a journalist to express an opinion with regard to the material he/she had been working on, and that the dismissal from job in this case may be justified, yet the journalist should be given warning in this context.Key words: Social Networks, Journalists, Expression, Ethics, Credibility