The Republic of Georgia is marked by an unstable socio-political landscape, characterized by significant economic inequality, corruption, ineffective policing, a weak judiciary, and limited press freedom. Currently, sixty-five percent of the population lives below the poverty line, which drives involvement in crime and corruption for economic survival. After gaining independence from the Soviet Union, the country faced separatist movements that led to the secession of several regions and the displacement of hundreds of thousands. Georgia's post-Soviet history is marred by violent political purges, including inter-party violence, bombings, and murders. Corruption persists at all government levels. This exploratory narrative analysis examines media coverage of crime, corruption, and politics in post-Soviet Georgia, highlighting the early development of a free press and reflecting public attitudes toward politics and corruption. The study reviews pre-election newspaper coverage of the November 2003 parliamentary elections beginning in late August, the Rose Revolution in November 2003 that led to President Eduard Shevardnadze's resignation, and the socio-economic and political events surrounding the election of President Mikhail Saakashvili from January to March 2004.
