Independent media is on the brink of collapse in Georgia

by Mariam Nikuradze

• 2 min read

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OC Insider

Independent media is just one step away from disappearing

by Aytan Farhadova

•1 min read

A few days ago, the chair of a regional media outlet called me with the following message: ‘Aytan, our employees in Azerbaijan refuse to work with us for fear of being arrested. For their own safety, they say they’d prefer to change their profession altogether, and we need new employees.’ In my country, almost every day begins with bad news, so this update did not shock me. But then, I heard that the media outlet itself was at risk, due to the situation in Georgia and the new FARA law in parl

OC Insider

Hey, Trump! Game on.

by Dominik K Cagara

•2 min read

Dear reader, Trump, Orbán, and Putin’s war on the media has entered a new era. When they failed to destroy us with their big lies, accusations in the mirror, or false balances, they struck where we are most vulnerable — our near-total dependency on philanthropy. My favourite part of founding OC Media was feeling connected to all the brave, uncompromising journalists in the Caucasus. I loved brainstorming stories with our Daghestani journalists, refining conflict-sensitive terminology, or trave

OC Insider

Azerbaijan’s first independent media outlet closes after 35 years

by Aytan Farhadova

•2 min read

On 13 February 2025, Turan closed its offices. It was the first independent media outlet to emerge in Azerbaijan, working consistently for 35 years. ‘Founded in 1990, in the final days of the Soviet Union, we have endured the challenges of transition, war, and reform while remaining committed to journalism that serves the public interest’, Turan’s director Mehman Aliyev wrote in a statement addressing the outlet’s closing. In his letter to the readers, Aliyev explained the reason Turan was clo

OC Insider

The shameful capitulation of the US

by Nate Ostiller

•4 min read

In a matter of weeks, the US, under President Donald Trump, has shattered its reputation as a reliable ally and partner, perhaps irreparably. While the most harmful and immediate impacts of the retreat from the global stage by the US will likely be felt in the Global South, where USAID cuts will decimate public health programmes and lead to possibly millions of preventable deaths, I would argue that Eastern Europe and the Caucasus will feel America’s retreat most strongly from a geopolitical st