Editor of the “Zhamanak” daily and founding editor of the web-site www.1in.am Arman Babajanyan does not foresee a bright future for the print media (especially for the newspapers) in Armenia if, according to him, the government does not take measures – hold competitions, develop grant and support programs for the newspapers.
The editor says that over the recent months Armenian newspapers have appeared in a more difficult situation, especially after decriminalization of the ‘Law on libel and insult’.
“On one hand the newspapers’ circulation is very limitted, and they are not able to at least make their expenditures self-sufficient, on the other hand the authorities consistently try to create financial obstacles for the newspapers challenging this or that issue in the court and demanding the highest financial compensation set by the law, thus more and more hindering to the establishment of the free media in Armenia,” says Babajanyan.
The editor of the “Azg” daily Hakob Avetikyan is of the opinion that today and in the future the newspaper sould be a commentary and analytical medium rather than a paper to just share news.
Editor of the “Zhamanak” daily and founding editor of the web-site www.1in.am Arman Babajanyan does not foresee a bright future for the print media (especially for the newspapers) in Armenia if, according to him, the government does not take measures – hold competitions, develop grant and support programs for the newspapers.
The editor says that over the recent months Armenian newspapers have appeared in a more difficult situation, especially after decriminalization of the ‘Law on libel and insult’.
“On one hand the newspapers’ circulation is very limitted, and they are not able to at least make their expenditures self-sufficient, on the other hand the authorities consistently try to create financial obstacles for the newspapers challenging this or that issue in the court and demanding the highest financial compensation set by the law, thus more and more hindering to the establishment of the free media in Armenia,” says Babajanyan.
The editor of the “Azg” daily Hakob Avetikyan is of the opinion that today and in the future the newspaper sould be a commentary and analytical medium rather than a paper to just share news.
“The online media will develop, and there is no sense to rival their efficiency and promptness, it is better to analyse than to run after,” says Avetikyan. According to him, the future of newspapers is quite vague, because there is no understanding of common interests, joint activities and struggle. This is well proved by the appearence of a number of newspapers in the court over the recent period.
The editor of “Zhamanak” says that when he noticed that terms for the newspapers are getting limitted in Armenia, he realized that the only solution to the problem should be sought on the web. “I solved my problem very easily: seeing that the newspapers in Armenia are no longer capable to compete, and being sure that sooner or later the online reality will win the newspapers, I created so called “the first” news web-site on the basis of ‘Zhamanak’,” says Babajanyan.
According to him at present his editorial office addresses two main directions – print newspaper and the internet. He says his predictions are justified since www.1in.am has already succeeded to attract an army of readers over the recent six months. Every day the web-site has an average of 15,000 readers and 9,000 subscribers through social network facebook. Whereas the average quantity of the newspapers’ circulation in Armenia is 5,000.
“I believe that newspapers in Armenia will inevitably be substituted by online websites. The newspaper is getting unprofitable, and I think that after the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections many newspapers will hardly continue to be published.”
Regarding the newspapers’ profitability, Babajanyan says, that people wishing to set ads in the newspapers are constrained in Armenia, as in the case if their ads appear in a newspaper with pro-opposition stance, then they will have a problem with the government, as far as business and policy in Armenia are combined, is sure the editor of “Zhamanak”.
“That is why we categorically have not an advertisement in the newspaper, however, the circumctances are a bit different in the case of the online media. People feel more comfortable in setting an advetisment on the news web-site,” says Babajanyan.
Here Avetikyan disagrees with Babajayan’s viewpoint, noting that from the point of view of profitability the print newspaper is more profitable. According to him there are not many people wishing to post ads on the web-site. And currently there are only three ads on the “Azg” web-site, these ordered from abroad.
Whereas, the web-site of the “Azg” daily has been functioning since 2001, the editor says, and has an average of 6,000 visitors per day. At present the newspaper’s circulation is 3,100, however, during winter time it is decreased to 2600-2800 copies.
“There are few advertisers in the Internet market, while the print version of newspaper brings ads. Our web-site is invested with expectations of the future, although I’m not sure that it will become profitable in the future,” says Avetikian.
However, the editor notes that circulation of newspapers are gradually declining: in 90s the “Azg” alone had up to 42,000 copies, while the average circulation of all Armenian newspapers together is not that much.
Source: JNews.am