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Armenian Politicians Getting Interested in Blogosphere

The first blogs in Armenia were registered more than 5 years ago, though last year only deserving public attention. For the first time in 2008 the press service of the president of Armenia invited the bloggers to Serzh Sargsyan’s press conference. After a month the president had another meeting with them and answered their questions. Before that event a few journalists only knew about the blogs and bloggers.

“At first we were “loggers”, and then considered as somewhat extraordinary and new, without whom however it was impossible to pass the way to Europeanization and democratization,” says blogger Sergey Chamanyan. According to him, the invitation to the president’s press conference became a significant event, as it was an opportunity to explain their civic position. However the bloggers’ initiative to address questions to the president was responded differently by the Armenian mass-media. The press began to discuss the appropriateness of engaging bloggers in such events.

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Armenian Media Digest, November 4-10

 1. “Fourth Sovereignty” (Chorrord Inqnishkhanutyun) Issued Instead of “Fourth Estate” (Chorrord Ishkhanutyun)

The opposition newspaper “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” (Fourth Estate) has stopped being published since November 10. But instead of the former newspaper the editorial office started publishing a newspaper called “Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun” (Fourth Sovereignty). As А1Plus.am reports the day before four bailiffs from the Service for Compulsory Enforcement of Judicial Acts of the RA Justice Ministry visited the “CI” editorial office and handed the decisions of the SCEJA on prohibition of the newspaper publication.

According to the writ of execution (06.11.2009) of the Common Jurisdiction Court of First Instance of the Kentron and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan the daily “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” has been banned both by the official publisher of “Koghmnaki andzants M” LTD (“Unauthorized persons not admitted” LTD) and by any other organization or printing-house.

Read More »Armenian Media Digest, November 4-10

Armenian Media Digest, October 20-26

1. Armenia the 111th According to Press Freedom Index

The organization Reporters Without Borders has issued another report according to the Press Freedom Index. So in the top five out of 175 countries were Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Reporters Without Borders compiles the Press Freedom Index every year on the basis of questionnaires that are completed by hundreds of journalists and media experts around the world. This year Press Freedom Index 2009 reflects press freedom violations that took place between 1 September 2008 and 31 August 2009. The Press Freedom Index is not promising in the South Caucasus countries. Georgia ranks the 81st place, Armenia – 111th and Azerbaijan occupies the 146th place.

Read More »Armenian Media Digest, October 20-26

Armenian Media Digest, October 20-26

 1. Armenia the 111th According to Press Freedom Index

The organization Reporters Without Borders has issued another report according to the Press Freedom Index. So in the top five out of 175 countries were Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. Reporters Without Borders compiles the Press Freedom Index every year on the basis of questionnaires that are completed by hundreds of journalists and media experts around the world.

This year Press Freedom Index 2009 reflects press freedom violations that took place between 1 September 2008 and 31 August 2009. The Press Freedom Index is not promising in the South Caucasus countries. Georgia ranks the 81st place, Armenia – 111th and Azerbaijan occupies the 146th place. This year, the European countries significantly changed their positions, though the first thirteen places in the list are occupied by mostly the European countries, other countries such as France (43), Slovakia (44), Italy (49) have gone down much lower than it was last year, losing the 8th, 37th and 5th places respectively.

Read More »Armenian Media Digest, October 20-26

Smithy for Leaders:

It’s the third year already the School for Young Leaders of Armenia (SYL) hosts under its roof young activists who come here to strengthen features of a leader and to establish personal contacts with famous political and public figures. Author of this project and the school director Artak Shakaryan says SYL aims to consolidate young people of Armenia sharing the same ideas and to provide them an opportunity to produce better results. Education in SYL is free.

The project is funded by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. Young people from both Armenia and Diaspora can study at school. Trainings are conducted in two streams, which are divided by age: 20-25 and 25-35. “The school has already quite a high reputation. At least 10 people apply per place in our school,” says Shakaryan. The classes are held twice per week in the evening. Students here study Principles of Leadership, Rhetoric, Alternative Development Sectors of Armenia, etc., which according to the organizers are delivered by specially qualified experts. Also famous public and political figures, as well as statesmen represent their reports at school and discuss different issues on the country with the students under unofficial climate.

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Chief Editor of Zhamanak daily Arman Babajanyan set free

Arman Babajanian, the editor of the pro-opposition “Zhamanak” daily suffering from a brain tumor, was set free on parole on Tuesday after spending more than three years in prison for draft evasion. Babajanian’s release came just hours after a state commission empowered to grant parole discussed his worsening health condition and decided to let him undergo urgent treatment in a civilian hospital.

The decision was swiftly endorsed by a Yerevan judge. Babajanian was greeted by dozens of relatives and opposition activists as he walked out of a prison hospital in Yerevan. He visibly had trouble moving his right leg and had to be assisted by Armen Martirosian, an opposition parliamentarian. “My condition is unstable right now,” Babajanian told journalists. “Pray, pray for my health. This is all I’m asking you.” Babajanian’s uncle, Levon Vartanian, said the young editor will be flown abroad for treatment. “Our doctors have fooled as so much we don’t trust them anymore,” he told RFE/RL. Vartanian claimed that Babajanian’s brain tumor was first detected a year ago and that local doctors denied its seriousness until recently.

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Armenian Media Digest, July 13-19

1. Calls by Media Community

Tert.am reports that on July 14th a number of Armenian media outlets made a statement calling for a change to the measure of restraint applied against the Chief Editor of “Haykakan Zhamanak” Nikol Pashinyan. The statement is signed by the editors and representatives of 26 newspapers and NGOs. It claims: “The Chief Editor of “Haykakan Zhamanak” Nikol Pashinyan was arrested as soon as he voluntarily surrendered to the law enforcement bodies on July 1st. The court didn’t take into account that amnesty has been applied to everyone instituted on the events of March 1, 2008 and most of them have already been released.

Amnesty is also applicable to those announced as wanted, if they voluntarily surrender to the law enforcement bodies by July 31. The court also didn’t take into account that the authorities declaring amnesty have actually shown political will in releasing their political rivals and in holding them through political methods of struggle. However, we – representatives of the media and journalistic organizations – can’t agree with the discriminated approach against our colleague –the Chief Editor of “Haykakan Zhamanak” and political figure Nikol Pashinyan.

Read More »Armenian Media Digest, July 13-19

Farewell to Arms:

Every Saturday the “Farewell to Arms: from Belfast to Balkans” film-series have been screened at the hall of Internews Armenia NGO office, then at the Narekatsi Art Union since May 27. The films have been created through partnership of Yerevan and Baku offices of Internews and with the support of the British Embassy in Armenia.

“Six films on six European conflicts and the ways of their solution have been created by a joint effort of Internews representatives in Armenia and Azerbaijan within the framework of this project,” says Nouneh Sarkissian, the executive director of Yerevan Internews office. The films are about the conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Southern Tirol, as well as in Cyprus and Aland Islands.

According to Sarkissyan the film authors have tried to represent the conflicts in eyes of those people who are directly linked or are victims of those conflicts. Director Tigran Paskevichyan has shot the film “Ordinary Utopia” on the Basque conflict within the framework of this project.

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En Route to Death: Iran, Armenia and Georgia Mourning for 168 Victims of Plane Crash

The Caucasus Journalists’ Team expresses its condolences to relatives of all 168 passengers who perished in the plane crash of the Tehran-Yerevan route of flight 7908 on Wednesday. We mourn over each passenger and offer our support to their relatives. This crash joined the fates of Armenian, Iranian and Georgian passengers flying in the same plane.

Unfortunately, through the taking lives, the pain is being shared by the three nationalities. We call upon the Armenian, Iranian and Georgian authorities to take measures to ease the pain of the victims’ relatives, who henceforth are to live quite different lives after the crash, a life without their relatives’ presence.

We urge the authorities to do their best to discover the real causes of the crash, which is expected by the relatives of the victims, as well as by thousands of other passengers regularly using this flight. Surely the crash is not a reason to stop the Tehran-Yerevan flight. However, people using the flight must be sure of its security. The next time they board the plane they should not be anxious that they are flying en route to death. R.I.P

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Armenian Media Digest, July 6-12

1. Information “Black Lists”

The “Freedom of Information Center” NGO in Armenia has published the “Black List” of the second quarter of 2009. According to Hraparak Newspaper, the list includes people who have violated citizens’ rights in order to gain information. The following people have appeared in the “Black List”:

1. Yerevan Mayor Gagik Beglaryan;

2. Leader of the “Orinatc Yerkir” Party and Secretary of the RA National Security Council Artur Baghdasaryan;

3. Leader of the Armenian National Congress Levon Ter-Petrosyan;

4. Leader of the Labor Socialist Party of Armenia Movses Shahverdyan;

5. Head of the “Medical Unity N2” CJSC Tigran Khachatryan.

2. New Information Website in Armenia

Presentation of the News.am informational website took place in Yerevan on July 10th. The new trilingual (Armenian, English and Russian) internet website is a news analysis agency which will cover topics from the South Caucasus in addition to different issues regarding Armenia and Armenian Diaspora. The website staff will follow publications of the world media and present them to its readers after studying and analyzing the most notable reports among them.

Read More »Armenian Media Digest, July 6-12