Shushan Harutyunyan / journalist-blogger

Masaryk University, Brno

18 March 2010

/Conference: “CURRENT POLITICAL CHALLENGES IN GEORGIA, ARMENIA AND TURKEY”/

Freedom of Media in Armenia Current challenges and developments

What to expect Armenian media in numbers /general overview / Media legislation Access to Information Media influance Media “in action” /beyond formal papers/ Armenian media under attack / violence against

journalists New Media & Citizen journalism in Armenia Hope for a better future

“First was the word” /introduction

Photo by Onnik Krigoryan

Media in Armenia /general overview

1063 registered media according to the state statistics

“Partly free” according to Freedom House /2009 report /

“ The government maintained control over most broadcast media, the primary news source in a poverty-afflicted country with poor newspaper distribution and low Internet penetration” – “The Committee to Protect Journalists”

Media in Armenia / TV -Radio

There are four nation-wide commercial TV channels. In total 57 operate in the country, and nearly half of them are broadcast from Yerevan and have limited coverage.

Numerous radio channels exist; their role is limited to entertainment with the only exception of the re-broadcasts of Radio Liberty on public radio.

The broadcast outlets, with the exception of a limited number of programs which present alternative views, do not offer in a consistent way objective and pluralistic information to society.

Media in Armenia / print-on-line

Media pluralism remains limited to the independent, but financially weak and less influential, print media.

The print media is pluralistic, and news coverage is diverse, at times openly critical of politicians. However, as none of the outlets exceeds a circulation of 3-4,000 copies per day, the Armenian print media is exceptionally weak, playing a limited role in informing the public.

High potential in the development of internet

media /details coming soon

Media legislation

Law of Freedom of Information

The Mass Communication Law of Armenia

The article 164 of the Criminal Code of RA

Law of Freedom of Information was approved by the Armenian Parliament in 2003

General principles To define unified procedures to record, classify and maintain

information To ensure freedom to seek and receive information To allow free access to information To publicize information The low allows any person to demand information from state and

social bodies, state offices, organization financed under the state budget, privet organizations of public importance and state officials, by written request

The Mass Communication Law of Armenia

Provides for a general rights of journalists who work for mass media organizations to operate without unreasonable restrictions

It prohibits censorship, interfering with “the legitimate professional activities of journalists”, disclosure of sources without a court order for revealing serious crimes, and it requires that government bodies do not favor some journalists over others.

But we have self censorship… /video on how it works/

The article 164 of the Criminal Code of RA

Under article 164 of the Criminal Code, it is an offence to interfere with legal professional activities of journalist, including forcing them to publish or not publish information. Officials can be imprisoned for up to three years for violating the Article, but …

Beyond formal papers

Lack of awareness among journalist about their legal rights

A soviet-style attitude and tradition of secrecy amongst officials

Lack of professionalism and solidarity among the media

When refused access to requested information, media professionals often use alternative sources of information

On other hand…

When where is awareness of rights and the provision in FOI legislation guaranteeing those rights, there is no tradition among the media of going to court to defend their rights, mainly due to skepticism about the fair administrational of justice and lengthy court proceedings.

Armenian media under attack / violence against journalists

On January 16, photojournalist Gagik Shamshian was knocked to the ground by a policeman while photographing a protest in front of the Shangavit Community Court, where hearings were being held for seven opposition figures charged in relation to the March 1-2, 2008 post-election violence in Yerevan.

On April 30, Argishti Kivirian, Director of the “Bagin” legal company which coordinates the ARMENIA Today news agency, was badly beaten by unknown assailants outside his Yerevan apartment.

On May 6, Never Mnatsakanian, a prominent TV anchor for the “Shant” TV company, was attacked by two strangers at the entrance of his house.

On April 8, "A1+" TV journalist David Jalalian was reportedly assaulted by police while attempting to photograph a protest staged by opposition supporters on Yerevan's Northern Avenue.

Journalists protest

“We Media” in Armenia – Citizen journalism

Almost 3500 bloggers and 400 posts per day

Im an Armenian hard bloggin’ journalist

This means in particular

I believe in new media, I believe in people I believe in open sourced journalism and completely transparent

reporting And i’m not only for democratized access to information I’m for democratized participation...

You?

Thanks for your attention

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