On March 2, 2008, in the afternoon, a security officer stopped by Aravot editorial office and very politely explained that I would not be able to carry out my intention. What was it? The point is by the President Robert Kocharyan’s decree on emergency, along with other measures, it was provided that with regard to inner life the media is obligated to report only official viewpoint. This claim contradicts our, the Aravot staff notions about media and journalism. (In fact, the claim for reporting only the view of the opposition would contradict that much). Hence, we were not going to be published, about which I wanted to write in Aravot edition to be published with white pages. But, the officer visiting me found out that it may also inflame passions. Note also that all, including the current opposition TV companies were going on the air from March 1 to March 20, and were broadcasting official position (as I understand, prepared by the police), according to which, on March 1, the demonstrators were armed, were under drug effect, and the representatives of the working class “officially appeared” on the street were saying damnation and cursing words addressed to Levon Ter -Petrosyan.
There are disputed and undisputed issues. For instances, someone likes the first president of Armenia, the other – does not. If I am forced to place opinions in the media that are only praising or just decry him, those who force urge me not to be engaged in journalism. Next to it, there are items that can not be the subject of debate: killing is bad, the crime going unpunished is also bad. If there are people who think the opposite, I am not obligated to refer to this opinion, because it is manifestly contrary to universal human values.
But, if there is a wide consensus between 4 “non-government” forces, a consolidation with regard to “dismissing Serzh Sargsyan’s regime”, it is already a political program, to which a part of citizens may support and the other part – not. Here, of course, it is desirable that the distinguished political forces honestly say what they really want so that the citizens may easily be oriented in the programs put forward before them. Well, as for the media, the real media must submit the strengths and weaknesses of these plans.
Under democratic, dictatorial, totalitarian, fascist, communist, independent, and dependent regimes, we need to comprehensively present the life as it is. We did not have that opportunity from March 1 to March 20, 2008.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
