The OSCE/ODIHR mission monitoring the Armenian presidential election issued an interim report, which asserted that some broadcast information agencies showed a selective approach, the other day. The report reads: “All media monitored by the OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission regularly covered gatherings and rallies organized by Mr. Hovannisyan; however, H1, Shant and Armenia TV often presented only general and at times superficial coverage of the protests, while repeatedly stating that the rallies were not authorized, and airing a statement by the police.” www.aravot.am inquired of Gevorg Altunyan, the coordinator of the Public Television news and analytical shows, whether he
deemed the OSCE assessment grounded. He responded: “I don’t think that the assessment is grounded. For example, sometime during the campaign, they accused me of bias against the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), the Armenian National Congress (ANC), the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), and some candidates. Firstly, I checked all my texts and saw that there was no such attitude there, then I wrote an official letter to them and asked to explain what formulations they were talking about. However, I haven’t gotten an answer. This is not the first time, and, unfortunately, giving such assessments is regular. We do our job; what assessment the European observers will give interests us insofar as it is one of the assessments of our work.” The Shant TV channel representatives also told us that they didn’t agree with the OSCE assessments and stressed: “This is not the first time we have received such an assessment from that kind of organization. They don’t know what they have added to what to get that final picture.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
