Alt-Info
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Alt-Info is a far-right private TV company, online information portal and a political movement in the country of Georgia.{{Cite web|url=https://registry.comcom.ge/BAuthorizations.aspx|title=მაუწყებლობის ავტორიზაციები|website=Communications Commission|access-date=18 July 2021}} It was founded in 2019 as a right-wing conservative media platform to "counter aggressive liberal censorship". Alt-Info was granted an authorization by Georgian National Communications Commission in November 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://registry.comcom.ge/BAuthorizations.aspx|title=მაუწყებლობის ავტორიზაციები|website=Communications Commission|access-date=18 July 2021}} It launched TV broadcasting in January 2021.{{cite news |last1=Kincha|first1=Shota|title=Georgia's Trump-loving alt-right begin broadcasting on TV|url=https://oc-media.org/features/georgias-trump-loving-alt-right-begin-broadcasting-on-tv/|access-date=25 December 2023 |agency=OC Media|date=21 February 2021}} During the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election, the TV company endorsed the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia, but announced about its self-dissolution after the election, citing the unsuccessful electoral performance of the APG and the lack of funds.{{Cite web |date=29 October 2024 |title= Pro-Russian Alt- Info Channel Goes Off Air |url=https://civil.ge/archives/632148|website=Civil Georgia}} The movement has been resurrected in April 2025 with the establishment of the new "Conservatives for Georgia" political party.{{Cite web |date=24 April 2025|title= Alt-Info Resurrected in New "Conservatives for Georgia" |url=https://civil.ge/archives/677282|website=Civil Georgia |language=en}}
Creation and goals
Alt-Info Ltd. was founded by Shota Martinenko and Tsiala Morgoshia in January 2019, who each own half of the company's shares.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mythdetector.ge/en/profile/alt-info|title=Alt-Info|website=Myth Detector|access-date=18 July 2021}} The United States Department of the Treasury (US Treasury) considered Konstantine Morgoshia, a former member of Georgian March and Alliance of Patriots, to also be a co-founder of Alt-Info.{{cite Q|Q131581205|url-status=live}}
The platform described as its main goal to "overcome aggressive censorship imposed by the ideological mainstream and supply audience with as complete and objective information as possible".{{Cite web|url=https://steprimo.com/android/us/app/com.altinfocom.alt_info/Alt-Info/|title=Alt-Info|website=|access-date=}}
Actions
File:Demonstration against Tbilisi Pride, 2023.jpg in July 2023.]]
Members of Alt-Info participated in organization of several demonstrations and protests, including the protests against Tbilisi Pride in 2021 and 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://dev.report.ge/en/amp/law/interrogation-of-guram-palavandishvili-and-alt-info-members-over/|title=Interrogation of Guram Palavandishvili and Alt-Info members over|website=Report.ge|access-date=18 July 2021}} In November 2021, members of Alt-Info established a political party called Conservative Movement. The party was officially registered by the National Agency of Public Registry on 7 December.{{Cite web|url=https://agenda.ge/en/news/2021/3854|title=Right-wing media outlet Alt-Info officially registered as political party|website=Agenda.ge|access-date=20 March 2022}} Members of Alt-Info were also involved in founding of the non-profit (non-commercial) legal entity Alternative for Georgia in 2019.
Actions against Alt-Info
On 5 November 2020, Facebook stated that it removed network connected to Alt-Info for "coordinated inauthentic behavior".{{Cite web|url=https://www.civil.ge/archives/380873|title=Facebook Removes Networks Linked to Alliance of Patriots, Alt-info|website=Civil.ge|access-date=20 March 2022}}
In September 2024, the US Treasury activated sanctions against Konstantine Morgoshia, alleging that in July 2021 and in 2023, he had "advocated for violent attacks against marginalized persons peacefully exercising their fundamental freedoms of expression and assembly" and that he had "led hundreds of followers to break into non-governmental organization offices and attack journalists and police officers at the scene". The US Treasury also sanctioned Zurab Makharadze, associated with Alt-Info, describing him as "one of the most vocal supporters of violence against peaceful demonstrators and marginalized Georgians" and stating that he had "directly encouraged violence against minority groups and journalists online prior [to] violent attacks."
Closure
In April 2024, the Conservative Movement party was deregistered from the elections by the authorities, after which it made a deal to run on joint list in the election with the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia, and Alt-Info channel endorsed the Alliance of Patriots in the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election.{{Cite web |date=11 June 2024 |title=Georgia's Alt Info to run in elections with Alliance of Patriots |url=https://oc-media.org/georgias-alt-info-to-run-in-elections-with-alliance-of-patriots/ |website=OC Media}} However, after the election Alt-Info announced that it would stop publishing following the disappointing electoral performance, with the APG managing to gain only 2.4% in the polls and failing to secure any seats in the parliament. The members of Alt-Info cited a lack of funding as a reason for self-dissolution, saying that the channel would not be able to support itself after its party failed to win any seats in the election. {{Cite web |date=29 October 2024 |title=Pro-Russian Alt- Info Channel Goes Off Air |url=https://civil.ge/archives/632148 |website=Civil Georgia}}
References
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{{Television in Georgia}}
Category:Television stations in Georgia (country)
Category:Television channels and stations established in 2020
Category:Georgian-language television stations
Category:2019 establishments in Georgia (country)
Category:Georgia (country)–Russia relations
Category:Nationalist parties in Georgia (country)
Category:Eastern Orthodoxy and far-right politics
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