A set of our colleagues, journalists, are put forward as candidates for this election, as they did during all the previous elections and they are usually elected National Assembly MPs. Naturally, a question arises as to how one should treat that. I have already said that I am personally not interested in that job (it should be a job and not a means for boasting and “receiving backing”, as the majority of the current MPs think). By the way, let me mention in the first place that I am not interested in managing H1, where some of my colleagues “have appointed” me, at all. However, the fact that journalists become MPs can be generally described as a normal, even positive thing. Which MPs are more preferable Harut of Caramel, Hakob of Beer, Artak of SAS or let’s say, Naira Zohrabyan or Aram Safaryan. Naturally, educated people who are able to express their thoughts are more useful for legislative activities. Samvel Shahsuvaryan who died at war, as well as Samvel Gevorgyan, Aghvan Vardanyan, Ruben Hakobyan and many others moved from journalism to politics at the time. I think politics only gained from that.
There is only one problem here – the transition from journalism to politics is absolutely acceptable, combining those two is unacceptable. Fortunately, my colleagues mentioned above did not and do not combine those two. What is the problem here? Guess I host a show, interview or write this article and I am on a party list wishing to become an MP at the same time. Won’t a question occur to readers or viewers, “Is what you say, write or ask on your behalf or on behalf of your party?” I don’t know what others think, but I think that the words of a journalist having party, political ambitions become less reliable as a result of those doubts. It explicitly or implicitly appears or is at least perceived as “agitprop” of this or that political force. They may oppose me saying that one may be not included in any party list and still do “agitprop” for one’s beliefs or money. It is a matter of the journalist’s conscience. In this instance, we talk about normal, conscientious journalist that is, however, perceived unconscientious because of the party list.
In a nutshell, journalists take some chances, when they are included in this or that party list. Because if they don’t become MPs, that experience will be reminded, nonetheless, to dispute what they write. If you enter politics, I wish you good luck. However, remember there is no way back.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
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