А two-day seminar discussion “Online Journalism Issues and Challenges in Armenia” was held on June 8-9, in Aghveran, Armenia. The workshop was organized by the “Journalists for the Future” NGO (JFF) with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

This event aimed to raise the issues and challenges in the media field with the participation of lawyers and representatives of online and print media outlets in Armenia. Members of 17 Armenian media discussed the legal framework for online media, as well as copyright protection, online defamation, and media ethics.

The workshop was attended also by Oliver McCoy, Democratization Programme Officer at the OSCE Office. In his opening speech McCoy said, “This event has shown that in Armenia there are grass-roots efforts to establish media self-regulation mechanisms that further media freedom and promote professional and ethical journalism online. I see this workshop as an initial step in a longer process of building a pluralistic, fair, and accountable media environment in the country.”

А two-day seminar discussion “Online Journalism Issues and Challenges in Armenia” was held on June 8-9, in Aghveran, Armenia. The workshop was organized by the “Journalists for the Future” NGO (JFF) with the support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

This event aimed to raise the issues and challenges in the media field with the participation of lawyers and representatives of online and print media outlets in Armenia. Members of 17 Armenian media discussed the legal framework for online media, as well as copyright protection, online defamation, and media ethics.

The workshop was attended also by Oliver McCoy, Democratization Programme Officer at the OSCE Office. In his opening speech McCoy said, “This event has shown that in Armenia there are grass-roots efforts to establish media self-regulation mechanisms that further media freedom and promote professional and ethical journalism online. I see this workshop as an initial step in a longer process of building a pluralistic, fair, and accountable media environment in the country.”

During the event lawyer Ara Ghazaryan represented the “Legal framework for online media and legislative regulation” topic. Based on case studies of legal practice, Ghazaryan spoke also of copyright protection and honor/dignity protection. Samvel Martirosyan, expert on information security, represented a topic entitled “Media manipulation on the Internet and news wars among the local media”, as well as introduced online tools to detect copyright materials. Lawyer Gevorg Hayrapetyan represented the “Legislative bases and ethical norms of online media” topic.

“Active discussions followed the topics represented by the experts. There were also practical jobs. Moreover, there was a session where each of the participants could represent both the positive and the negative experience of his/her media outlet related to the issue,” said JFF President Suren Deheryan concluding the workshop results. “The working group formed by JFF will study all the issues raised by the participants of this event and will develop a package of proposals.”

This workshop was part of the “Promoting Online Media Self-regulation in Armenia” project. During this project it is planned also to publish a study guide which will contain technical, legal and other professional advisory content necessary for online media.

[[wysiwyg_imageupload:159:height=220,width=318]]”However, in the nearest future we plan to organize an enhanced conference and to invite all the stakeholders who are concerned of the issue or have proposals of other initiatives. I believe that it will promote more productive activities and development of ways acceptable for the media community to eliminate the issues in this field,” said Deheyan.

Aiming to promote and support the diversity of information and dissemination of alternative information in Armenia, over the 5 years of its activity JFF has permanently proposed initiatives addressed to the development of online media realizing workshops, conferences and researches. It has published also thematic materials and launched experimental alternative information websites. In spring 2012 JFF represented journalists a preliminary sample of a “Code of Ethics of Online Journalist” developed by JFF experts based on the studies of analogous international codes.

Pictures from this event you can find in JFF’s facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jnewsarmenia

For additional information, please contact info@jnews.am 

Source: “Journalists for the Future” NGO