“Sinatle Media is doing everything it can so that, in a critical moment, people stand alongside journalists,” says Ketevan Kavtaradze, one of the founders of Sinatle Media.
Sinatle Media was founded just a few months ago and is working to mobilize society to save free media.
How does Sinatle operate, and how is it trying to rescue independent online media? Batumelebi spoke with Ketevan Kavtaradze about this.
Ketevan, a few days ago Sinatle Media organized a flea market to support free media. Can you tell us what was happening there and what emotions you observed among the people who brought their personal items? As far as we know, many well-known public figures were present and sold their belongings to support the media.
We published a questionnaire in advance and called on people to bring their personal items and sell them at the flea market for Sinatle.
The event was called “For Sinatle,” and we used this wording everywhere: “Sell for Sinatle,” “Buy for Sinatle,” “Flea Market for Sinatle,” and so on.
Around 45 people brought their belongings to the flea market – clothes, accessories, bags, scarves, jewelry, books, albums, vinyl records. There was even skating equipment and bicycles.
We also had rugby memorabilia. You may know the amateur rugby club “Sokhumi,” the only team that unfurls the banner “Freedom for the prisoners of the regime” after every match. Its founder is Levan Jobava.
The flea market also featured ceramics and extraordinary stone artworks.
We had a separate comics corner. Posters by Sinatle Media’s photojournalists were displayed in a dedicated space, and the photojournalists signed the posters for those who purchased them.
Most of the photographs depicted the Tbilisi protests. There were also corners representing Indigo, Chai Khana, and other media outlets.
The exhibition included a wide range of handmade items, as well as my mother’s distinctive felt artworks. There was a small corner with sweets Tamar Mshvenieradze baked her signature cakes, pastries, and more.
Our host was the restaurant “Ezo,” which provided food and bar services for the day.
I think the people who brought their personal items for Sinatle Media were truly happy they shared their emotions with us. Writer Nene Kvinikadze brought her belongings, as did Nino Lezhava, Anuka Toklikishvili, Natia Mikeladze, Salome Jashi… Fantastic people whom society knows well and who are prominent fighters in this resistance and protest were present and sold their items that day.
We had 13 stalls, and together they raised around 33,000 GEL.
We lit a fire, set up a Christmas tree, and everything that happened there became a powerful example of public solidarity.
Can you tell us how the idea of founding Sinatle Media emerged, and how difficult it is to save free media under an authoritarian regime?
The idea of founding Sinatle Media first came to my sister, Teo Kavtaradze. She was at a media conference in Germany, where she saw how similar projects operate to support media development.
This was around the time when Georgian Dream adopted the so-called “FARA” law the agents’ law. That’s when discussions began about the need to do something to save free media.
Teo said we couldn’t do it alone and asked me for help. I have experience working in the media sphere, and I’ve also been actively participating in protests for a year now. I clearly see the role of free media in this struggle and the challenges media faces under Russian-style laws. These value-based and emotional challenges are very close to me as well.
Initially, three people myself, Teo Kavtaradze, and Irma Mosulishvili started working on this project. Irma was involved from the very first day as a manager.
What was the first campaign you launched to support the media?
The first challenge was that media outlets were left in a vacuum after grants were banned and funding sources were completely cut off. So we began focusing on encouraging people to donate to media, and that’s how the idea “The light must not go out” was born.
The first stage was entirely focused on crowdfunding a campaign with two main messages. The first and most important was that we stand together, and that we are trying to save not one specific outlet, but independent media in Georgia as a whole. We began working to support 22 media organizations.
In June, we established the organization “People’s Source,” which could legally receive donations for the media. Of course, we also needed a platform where people could easily transfer money online, so we worked in parallel with web developers to build that system.
Our first campaign involved taking all the websites offline to show society how real the threat of media disappearance is. This generated a huge response. All free online media outlets went offline for three hours, and people suddenly realized that the websites of 22 media organizations were unavailable. After three hours, all media resumed work with a joint video stating two key messages: first, that the regime has declared war on free media, but we stand together in this fight; and second, that public support and solidarity are crucial in this struggle.
This campaign was followed by a march in support of the media on August 21. It was vacation season, the weather was hot, yet several thousand people still came out into the streets. The march was symbolically called the “March of Lanterns.” Participants lit lanterns and walked from Republic Square to Parliament.
Free media has long supported people not only by covering social problems, exposing injustice, and defending vulnerable groups, but also by changing lives. What have these campaigns shown? Does society understand that even a 1-lari donation can keep free speech alive in this country?
Today, public trust in free media is very high. People who are part of the struggle especially over the past year feel the role of the media very strongly.
I believe that online media won the battle against propaganda in the courts, because journalists showed what was really happening during court hearings. The truth was on the side of prisoners of conscience, and it was the media that brought their personal stories to the public.
Everyone who stands on the side of protest and everyone who reads free media can see this.
As for the financial aspect, readers had never paid for information before. There was no culture of donating even 1 lari to media. Sinatle Media has taken on the responsibility of explaining what independent media really means.
Every donor whether an organization or an individual must clearly understand that free media works for their rights, not for the interests of funders.
Today, not only media but also civil society, opposition parties, and activists are in a very difficult situation. Everyone is asking for help just to survive.
We are helping cover the monthly expenses of prisoners of conscience in prison, unjust fines imposed on activists, pro-European movements everyone involved in the struggle against the regime.
Once again, society is helping itself survive.
We try to allocate every single lari. Even if we have only 100 lari, we distribute that 100 lari.
In four months since launching the campaign, we have raised nearly 200,000 GEL to support the media. During the most recent campaign alone, we raised 100,000 GEL.
Beyond financial donations, it is extremely important that there is an army of people who volunteer their professional skills for Sinatle Media: creative directors shaping the visual side of events, flea market directors coordinating with artists, gallerists, collectors, people handling logistics, designers, developers, printing houses, and many others.
Many people are trying to contribute their experience and knowledge to Sinatle Media.
Today, “Georgian Dream” is trying to spread fear and terror intimidating public servants and businesses. Are there still businesses standing on the side of free speech, or has that support disappeared?
The sad reality is that a large part of big business is under the regime’s control, so we cannot really talk to them. However, we are in negotiations with several large businesses.
Sinatle Media is doing everything it can so that, in a critical moment, people stand alongside journalists not only financially, but physically as well.
God forbid, but if something more serious threatens us tomorrow, the country must rise up to defend free media.
How will Sinatle Media operate in 2026—do you expect more support or more difficulties?
One thing we will start in 2026 is showing society more clearly the labor behind free media how much effort and what challenges lie behind the information journalists provide, so that people understand how ethical media works today and what risks are associated with its existence in this country.
Of course, we will continue working on crowdfunding. Monthly donations are one of our key priorities.
We also have a project focused on working with emigrants to further strengthen Sinatle Media.
Sinatle Media was born in a struggle against the regime a struggle that will inevitably bring great benefits and peace. But not the kind of “peace” that Georgian Dream offers its voters; rather, it will bring the return of real peace to our families, within this country’s constitutional framework, and a return to Europe.