“The dramatic expansion of online media has damaged Armenian journalism, flooding it with a new generation of unprofessional editors and journalists,” this is how the annual report of IREX, an American organization carrying out humanitarian and educational programs, presents the situation in the Armenian information field. It also talks about violence against journalists, although it is stated that the situation has calmed as compared to last year. Talking about TV broadcasting, the report reads: “Socio-political shows are replaced by entertainment shows on many TV channels, in order to attract advertisers.” www.aravot.am inquired of Mesrop Harutyunyan (see the photo), a media expert, whether he agreed with the assessments made in the report and how the situation could be fixed, in his opinion. He replied: “The fear is adequate; that thing certainly exists, since new websites that spread articles without editing, checking are opened every day. I realize that this problem of unprofessionalism exists, but I don’t think that it exists only in Armenia. It seems to me that in places, where the online media just starts to develop, and people greedily consume what is offered, a problem arises. Nothing can be done at all. What can one do? Shall one forbid people from registering a website? No one can forbid anyone from doing that, it is impossible; if you forbid it in the .am domain, they will register in the .com domain or in Georgia. It is impossible to do through legislation. The other option is what an old woman did in Georgia, she cut the cable. One should just not consume it, one should not believe everything that is written there and not read every website.” Haykazn Ghahriyan, the editor-in-chief of the Lragir website also agrees with the assessments made in the report. He stated: “With regard to the press, it may be possible, but as far as the internet is concerned, I don’t see any mechanisms. There is much material stolen from us or you on different websites, or a bit changed; they sometimes don’t even bother to change.
However, one cannot prevent that, from plagiarism to the most disgusting things. I don’t know how this should be regulated.” The report talks about the fact that the President of the Republic of Armenia appoints the members of the Council on Public Television and Radio and expresses concern: “Since the president chooses all five members of public media’s governing body, the Council on Public Television and Radio, the possibility for independence is virtually eliminated.” With regard to this M. Harutyunyan said: “IREX doesn’t say anything new; we have been talking about that for 12 years. They don’t want to give up control. Generally the Television and Radio Act is the statute, fighting for which, we have had little success. The government doesn’t make substantial concessions on that statute. It always wants to maintain the articles that allow controlling the field of television, since the field of television is the most influential one these days. Therefore, my only hope is the development of the internet.” H. Ghahriyan, in his turn, noted: “I don’t fully agree with the observation made in the report. On the other hand, if the president doesn’t appoint the members of the Council on Public Television and Radio, what will change, if someone else appoints? Or a question arises who should appoint. The government will never concede two things – television broadcasting and the Ministry of Justice; it may concede the army, even the police to the opposition, but it will never concede those two.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
Photo by Zorik Galstyan
