Georgian media consumption trends

Article analyzes the media market of Georgia, particularly, the main preferences of the audience in the field of traditional and new media. The review is relevant, since the National Statistics Agency of Georgia has not yet conducted extensive research in the field of media. There are some separated reports and ratings, however, they are conducted by international funds. Thus, they do not study the media market in Georgia systematically, so these reports are partial and inferior. Purpose of the study was to identify the main changes in the field of media consumption in Georgia in the following categories: print, television, radio and new media. The transformation of the media environment served as the main hypothesis of the study. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of Georgian media, exacerbating the crisis in the print sector and making Internet sites more attractive for large holdings and independent authors in the face of an economic downturn in the media market and optimization. To identify the data, the methods of content analysis, observation and sociological survey were used. Particular attention is paid to the trends that have emerged in the media market in Georgia since the beginning of the pandemic - the main dynamic changes in the Georgian segment of Facebook, the development of the cartoon genre and the preferences of users of social networks. The study covered a number of factors affecting media consumption in Georgia: the age of information consumers, their geographic and social position, national mentality, and the level of religiosity. The results of the study demonstrate a high degree of mediatization of religion in Georgia, manifested in the fact that the church has become an opinion leader, determining the point of view of the majority regarding the topic of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the results of the conducted survey, the population of Georgia began to watch TV and radio more often. The level of interest in social networks has also increased - in particular, in blogs, both in Georgian and in Russian.