Human Rights Watch, an international human rights organization, has published a report on the level of human rights protection in roughly 90 countries around the world, which also mentions the Armenian press. In this regard, the report states that the Armenian mass media lack pluralism.
Reporters Without Borders, in turn, has published its annual report, “2013 World Press Freedom Index,” according to which Armenia has improved its position; it is 74th among 179 countries. www.aravot.am inquired of some Armenian newspaper editors which the reasons for the lack of pluralism were, and whether they could notice progress in ensuring press freedom.
Taguhi Tovmasyan, the editor-in-chief of The People, a daily newspaper, thinks that the press is not to blame for the lack of pluralism, but rather the political situation and the system created by the government are to blame for that. She went into detail: “The press does everything possible to present the objective situation. However, it often finds itself in a rather unpleasant and dangerous position. That problem cannot be solved by the mass media alone, if there is no political will. The mass media often face problems when the government officials start to differentiate between friendly and hostile news agencies and boycott the hostile news agencies. For example, the Presidential Palace has never invited The People to the events organized by them; this means that the newspaper is deprived of its right to ensure pluralism. The Government of the Republic of Armenia is also closed; they don’t invite any representative of our
newspaper even to holiday events. Not only us, there are other newspapers, which are on the government’s black list. Therefore, the government should also be interested in ensuring pluralism. It can restrain the oligarchs that are under its influence and not allow them to file millions of lawsuits against the mass media, violating the freedom of press. In the past, they would struggle against the press using violence, whereas now the press is ‘freer,’ so to speak, now they hush the press up in a more civilized way. I don’t think that the press is as free as depicted in Serzh Sargsyan’s speeches and reports, since today there are no prerequisites for the press’s normal activities. They don’t like newspapers, the mass media in Armenia. They avoid looking at themselves in the mirror.”
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Shogher Martirosyan, the editor-in-chief of Fourth Power, a daily newspaper, stated while talking about the way out: “Either they or we should change.” Then, she mentioned monopolization as the main reason for the current situation and went into detail: “It is not visible at first sight; it is done more cunningly. Admittedly, one news agency ostensibly belongs to one party, another to another party, and some newspaper ostensibly has its owner. However, the government’s influence is obvious anyway. There is pluralism when one can gather different representatives of the press and reach a conclusion. However, the problem is that everyone takes his own path. The press can express and present itself somewhat freely. However, the problem is that there are financial, advertising limits; everything is done to make the press’s existence difficult. They impede in a more civilized, subtle, astute, and outwardly neat way. As a result, they just fear to advertise in the newspaper. In the past, it was more obvious and easier to notice. Now they work more seriously and cunningly.”
