Happy 20th Birthday, Georgia Today!
Though it couldn’t be worse timing and the party sadly has to be postponed, it is with great pride that I can say I’ve been part of the 20-year story of this newspaper and media group. George Sharashidze, the epitome of an entrepreneur, started up this English language edition on March 24, 2000, and every week since, with a team of dedicated Georgians and foreign contributors, he has published the local and regional news, ensuring it is presented in a balanced and professional way and meets reader demand and interest.
A redesign in 2015 and an additional GT Business issue each week expanded the reach of the newspaper, as did a redesign of the website. And then came GT Education- presenting the news in a simplified form, with comphrehension activities, for students of English- a fun supplement to classes in over 100 regional and city schools. Each move forwards has been very exciting for all of us!
Reporting the news for 20 years has not been without its challenges, be they political or financial, depending on the social circumstances of the time, but GT has seen each hardship through: adapting, reducing, expanding and fighting to succeed, backed by dedicated partners and readers. It is they I would like to thank now- for their tireless encouragement, suggestions and enthusiasm. Our stories not only report and inform; they spark debates, raise questions and highlight those areas of society either most in need of reform, or those already being reformed, either by the government or international organizations, or by caring members of Georgian society- volunteers striving for a better world.
It has been a huge pleasure to head the smart, wonderful, incredibly hard-working and patient team of journalists that have worked beside me these past 5.5 years since I took on the role of Editor-in-Chief. Past and present, each person who has contributed to GT’s story is worthy of thanks and praise.
So happy birthday to us! Happy birthday to Georgia Today! Long may GT continue to inform, be it on paper or in the digital sphere. Georgia needs news in English. Georgia needs Georgia Today!
By Katie Ruth Davies, Editor-in-Chief since 2014