Abstract

This article examines the role of Georgian journalism in the country’s transition from Soviet rule, focusing on the transformative impact of 9 April 1989. Drawing on contemporaneous broadcasting (notably Pikis Saati), parliamentary developments and the author’s firsthand experience, the study analyses how the media shed censorship, assumed the responsibilities of the Fourth Estate and helped reconfigure public deliberation during state‑building. It argues that journalism’s capacities to interrogate, criticise and foster civic debate were crucial to Georgia’s march to sovereignty and that legal and ethical restraints remain essential to prevent the abuse of democratic freedoms. The piece concludes by urging sustained professional standards and civic education to preserve journalism’s constructive role in democratic consolidation.