Riding Out Rising Authoritarianism With Tsira Gvasalia

This episode features a conversation with investigative journalist, Tsira Gvasalia. It was recorded in person, in Tbilisi, Georgia, in August, 2024, at the n-ost conference for climate journalism. It is one of four episodes dedicated to issues complicating climate communication in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region. 

Tsira is an investigative and science journalist based in Tbilisi, Georgia. She is the founder of Cactus Media, a bilingual news platform raising awareness about the interconnection of human health and environmental pollution. 

Since 2010, she’s worked for a number of Georgian print and online media organizations, while also contributing to international outlets. With a focus on investigating corruption connected to natural resource extraction and environmental pollution in Georgia, as well as Russian business interests in precious metal mining across the region, Tsira works to shed light on the lack of climate, environment, and health data in Post-Soviet countries, stressing the importance of improving data collection and evidence-based decision-making processes. 

Amongst other things, Tsira and I discussed the challenges facing climate journalists living under rising authoritarianism, the interconnectedness of climate change and the rest of our lives, and the identity crises facing post-Soviet countries like Georgia, as they try to establish who they are and what they stand for. 

Additional links:

Check out Tsira’s platform, Cactus Media

Read the article about gold mining producing golden pollution

Read about the Shovi landslide disaster

Katherine Dunn’s piece about the Georgian Foreign Agent Law

Institute for the Study of War’s article about the 2024 Georgian election

Tsira’s profile on the n-ost website

Tsira’s profile on the Journalismfund Europe website