If I witness someone trying to commit suicide, no matter I have come to cover the event, or just a walking over the Kievyan bridge, I am obliged to my utmost to prevent the tragedy. It is undisputed case and is subject to no discussion, when any man should demonstrate its human nature. If the editorial office sends me, as a reporter, to the National Assembly on business to cover the events taking place there, including the ongoing debate between different political forces, I can not participate in this debate as a party, to go to the podium, make speeches, conduct actions and so on.
Why can’t I do it? Because it would hinder my future work: any word that I would write after it regarding the discussions at the National Assembly would be perceived by the reader through the breakthrough of the action made by me, and it would diminish the value of my word. I would not be perceived as a journalist covering the event rather than as an event participant, a representative of one of the disputing parties. I would not be able, for example, to relax and interview the representative of this-or-that party without tension, and adequately present it to my readers or viewers.
But what I’ve written here refers to me personally, as well as to those concerned with this problem, in other word, to those who want to be perceived as someone covering events, as well as, fitting in certain rules, as a commentator. However, there are partners, and they seem to constitute the majority, who do not care about this issue, do not worry, they are ready to be perceived as a microphone for this-or-that party and political stream. This is the choice of these journalists, which is worthy of respect.
I’m not going to give a lesson to anyone, except my students, and I have sympathy with many of my colleagues, who represent this-or-that political power and protect the interests of those powers by their letters or words. This is normal. I think they should also treat my classical, perhaps, also, textbook approach of journalism as regular. Eventually, it is a matter of a taste. For example, I like classical music and do not understand hip-hop. Probably it is not a basis for hostility.
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It is very likely that I am wrong, and in further National Assembly sessions, prior to each important voting, the representatives of the media representing the view of 5 or 6 fractions would take the floor and urge the MPs to vote this way of another way. It would probably be our contribution to the development of global parliamentarism.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
The recent behavior of some “journalists” in the National Assembly is the type of stunts which can only discredit the profession they were pretending to practise.
This obvious ethical deviance by those so-called “journalists” constitutes a waste and a gross abuse of the freedom of the Press, to the detriment of real, serious and competent journalists.
The breach of journalistic ethics is just undeniable, regarding this matter.
The “journalists” who chose to renounce and abdicate their status and vocation in question, in order to behave this way, should at least have the courage or basic coherence to stand up to this fact and reality.
Their main defensive argument that they would be gladly ethical only if the members of the parliament are also ethical, even by hypothesis, does not make sense. Two wrongs do not make a right.
They chose to sacrifice their journalistic integrity, for what they believe is some greater cause, fine, that’s their call. But they have to accept the effects of their action. And also, to realize, that what they did affects the credibility of all the rest of their (previous) colleagues, and therefore the significance and efficiency of journalism in its entirety, in Armenia.
We already had a feeling that some so-called journalists could be “hired” by this or that person in power. Now, we are discovering that even journalists who were supposed to be neutral and independent are more interested in and motivated by sensationalist militantism, than by actual journalism.
It is regrettable, because they would have been more useful as real journalists.
Haytoug Chamlian, Canada
December 25, 2013