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March 31, 2006 NCI Focuses on Armenia’s Informational Predicament Yerevan—The National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI) today convened a roundtable on “Ways to Surmount Armenia’s Information Crisis.” The meeting brought together social and political activists, human rights advocates, analysts, experts, and media representatives.
NCI coordinator Hovsep Khurshudian welcomed the audience with opening remarks: “Today, when some politicians of the opposition and independent analysts are hopeful that a real opportunity has emerged for the upcoming parliamentary elections to be held freely and in compliance with the standards of democracy, even without the restoration of the right of the A1+ and Noyan Tapan independent television companies to broadcast, reminds me of the year 2002. Following the closing down of these stations, a number of people were then confident that the rule of law would be established in the country as the result of the upcoming presidential elections and that the violated rights would be restored. We recall all too well what occurred then, and it appears that every condition now exists for a repetition of the whole scenario.” In his intervention on “The Effects of Shutting Down A1+ and Noyan Tapan on the Right of Armenia’s Citizens to Receive Information and the Means for Overcoming These Effects,” president of the A1+ Television Company Mesrop Movsisian briefly presented the history of this matter. In his words, the 19 media organizations which after the notorious contest in 2002 signed a joint declaration deeming the contest as legitimate in fact signed the verdict not only against their own freedom of speech but on that of the entire country. Movsisian finds that the shutting down of A1+ and Noyan Tapan is a concern not for television stations alone but for the entire population of Armenia . He stated that his television company’s petition submitted to the European Court of Human Rights was now in the process of examination. According to Movsisian, liberal competition among electronic media has come to an end in Armenia and as a result there is a setback not only in terms of unimpeded dissemination of information but also in the appraisal of journalistic professionalism. And all of this in its turn has brought forth a severe limitation on Armenian citizens’ right to receive information.
During his talk concerning “The Impact of the Informational Emergency on Armenia’s Political Establishment,” Noyan Tapan News Agency’s analyst Davit Petrosian began his intervention with the words of the prominent human rights advocate, Academician Andrei Sakharov, who said that the ruling power’s “making a fool” of the people with the help of the media is no less perilous than terrorism and dictatorship. He criticized the policy of Armenia’s rulers in making a “fool” of their own people, adding that the opposition likewise was not presenting any specific program toward taking the country out of this informational blockade. Petrosian called attention to the need to prepare mechanisms for safeguarding the financial independence of the press. He at the same time accepted Hovsep Khurshudian’s assertion that in a free market competition television companies that are professional would make more profitable use of commercials, whereas the latter should be prohibited in public television, which receives nearly the same amount from the state budget as the country’s entire scientific domain, and even under such privileged conditions and in line with all surveys its rating does not surpass the No. 6 spot.
The remainder of the session was devoted to exchanges of views and policy recommendations among the public figures and policy specialists in attendance. Also noteworthy were interventions by Armenia’s first Ombudswoman Larisa Alaverdian; chairman of the “Hetk” Union of Investigative Journalists Edik Baghdasarian; attorney Vahe Grigorian; research director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies Stiopa Safarian; chairman of Armenian Helsinki Association Mikael Danielian; Aravot daily’s correspondent Anna Israelian; Zhamanak daily’s special correspondent Carmen Davtian; A1+ journalist Diana Markosian; Noyan Tapan analyst Susanna Petrosian; Artak Zeinalian of the Republic Party; Ruzan Khachaturian from the People’s Party of Armenia; Zoya Tadevosian and Gevorg Kalenchian of the Heritage Party; Catholic Relief Services Program Director Aida Arutiunova; chairman Karen Hakobian of the “Huis” NGO; members of other social organizations; university lecturers; and many others.
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