The Role of Emigrant Political Press in Nation-Building: A Historical and Discourse Analysis of The Newspaper Sakartvelo (1903–1905) And Its Contribution to The Formation of The Georgian Socialist-Federalist Ideology
This study examines the Georgian emigrant newspaper Sakartvelo (Georgia), first published in Paris in 1903, and its role in shaping national-political ideology and party formation in early twentieth-century Georgia. Drawing on Agenda-Setting and Postcolonial Theory, the research explores how an uncensored emigrant press functioned as a platform for ideological expression, political mobilization, and institutional development. Using a qualitative historical approach and content analysis of archival issues (1903–1905), the study identifies key themes such as national autonomy, federalism, and social reform. The findings show that Sakartvelo played a transformative role by facilitating the transition from general national discourse to structured party-oriented communication. It contributed to the ideological formation of the Georgian Socialist-Federalist Party and enabled transnational political dialogue with European intellectuals. The study concludes that emigrant press can serve as a powerful instrument of political transformation, especially under conditions of censorship, by shaping public consciousness and supporting nation-building processes.
Keywords: Emigrant, press; political communication; Sakartvelo.
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