Earlier, the newspapers had a section for letters. The editorial was receiving several dozens of letters (paper) per month, in which the readers were agreeing with published materials, arguing and recommending. These letters were, of course, included plans for “saving the nation” or proposals for running an eternal engine, but there were also rational judgments, and the media was surely considering these opinions.
We work for the readers, and as before so as now, their views and providing feedback is important for us. Now, in the era of Internet, it is done much easier. The reader can instantly write his comment, both on social networks and in your website. Naturally, there are many more negative opinions than positive. Those who agree with you will be in less mood to write a comment than those who do not share your view. Anyway, it is an operating mechanism of feedback, which should be maintained and developed.
And whom is the country, the town or village administration working for? If it is really and administration rather than a government, a group of people empowered by liabilities to govern “from heaven”, then it is reasonable to assume that it works for the citizens. In fact, the word minister translated from Latin means a “servant” rather than a “minister.” How should the administration (what we call “government”) feel that it is serving right or wrong? Again through feedback. Naturally, the main form of this feedback are the elections, a mechanism, which does not existed in Armenia since 1995. There are also other mechanisms, such as public opinion polls or the same media and social networks. But, here also, to put it mildly, we have problems.
For example, a few days ago, the media wrote about the beating of Syrian-Armenian man, Boghos Aghoyan, working as a cardiologist at the hospital in Talin, who, according to some reports, was carried out by the relatives of Talin city mayor. Did relevant circles of administration respond to the crime?
Or another unusual event. Recently, the Chairman of Students’ Council at the University of Economics, Sevak Khachatryan (RPA), was appointed a Vice-Rector of the same University, who once was interfering with the work of journalists in a “street style” (naturally, with “professional guidance” by his Rector, Koryun Atoyan).
Isn’t the administration and Sevak’s dear party aware of the responses of this appointment? They are aware of, and it seems to me that they appoint a Vice-Rector to show that they do not care about these responses. Hence, the feedback is working, but with a reverse mechanism.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
