The only TV Company which was present in “Pastark” club yesterday was greeted with applauses.
It became clear yesterday that almost no TV Company representative came to participate in the press conferences of either NDP leader Shavarsh Kocharyan or ARF faction leader Hrayr Karapetyan, which took place in “Pastark” club. The correspondents of “Yerkir Media” only participated who were late because of traffic jams and were greeted by applauses. “Another brave media”, – Mr. Karapetyan told who had greeted before all brave medias who were present in the press conference. The present figures were the representatives of printed media, for whom the absence of TV Companies are very profitable, since their published materials have second freshness after TV Companies’ reports.
TV companies have been elucidating the politicians press conferences for several months. The reason was parliamentary campaign, during of which the electronic media turned into free tribunes. It lasted few more months till October 15, when the heads of all TV Companies woke with the same intention: to ignore the press interviews of politicians. They suddenly noticed that the press clubs advertise cigarettes and vodka. We should note that there is neither cigarette nor alcohol advertisements in “Pastark” club.
“The authority is inclined to use those direct and indirect levers, which it has. But the point is that if there is no organized population, if there is no power, which won’t allow that, it is very natural”,- was Shavarsh Kocharyan’s answer to “Aravot’s” question how he remark such limitations of the freedom of information in this pre-electoral period.
Hrayr Karapetyan’s answer to the same question was the following: “I think that the media should carry out its obligations whoever and whatever orders”. He also said that he didn’t think that it had been ordered by the Prime Minister or President: “I am more inclined to think that there are officials who think they serve those persons whose political interests they pursue. We’ll struggle against it”. He also added: “I am sure that those persons, who deal with propaganda, should understand that the achievement of independence in Armenia is already a historical truth, and Armenia will never adopt totalitarian system. We have struggled against totalitarian rule, bolshevism, and censorship. And today its certain phenomenon is very amusing”.