Wednesay, September 28, 2011 - AmCham Members Only Luncheon - Growing Number of Georgians Getting News Online

Over the past two years, the number of people who use the internet as their primary news source has doubled, according to surveys by the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC).

Dr. Hans Gutbrod, the director of CRRC, told AmCham members while television is still the primary source of information for the majority of Georgians, new media is becoming more popular.

Internet use has increased over the past two years, based on surveys from 2009 and 2011. Gutbrod noted that 70 percent of Georgians online are using the internet to access social networks, an increase from 2009. The number of people using the internet daily also increased over the past two years, growing from 13 percent to 23 percent in 2011.

While television is the primary source of news and information for Georgians - and watching television is the top activity during their free time - Georgians are also increasingly aware of the influence of media owners on the quality of news presented. Over half the people questioned in 2011 - 59 percent - said it was not acceptable for the government to check information before it was broadcast.

For more information on Georgians' media consumption, as well as access to information from other CRRC surveys, visit www.crrc.ge/oda.

Several other announcements were made during the monthly luncheon at the Courtyard Marriott. Two new members, Pfizer Luxembourg SARL Representation Office in Georgia and Japan Tobacco International Caucasus, were officially introduced. Ernst and Young announced its expanded services and Investor.ge called for companies involved in CSR to send information about their programs for the October issue. For more information, please contact m.corso@amcham.ge.

- Photos of the event >>>