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Aztag Daily: An Important Communication Bridge With The Armenian Wor

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  • Aztag Daily: An Important Communication Bridge With The Armenian Wor

    AZTAG DAILY: AN IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION BRIDGE WITH THE ARMENIAN WORLD
    By Appo Jabarian, [email protected]

    USA Armenian Life Magazine
    July 31 2008
    CA

    During the many decades that I have lived as an Armenian-Lebanese
    in the Diaspora, also known as "al-mahjar" in Arabic, never have I
    broken my ties with my birthplace and especially the Armenian-Lebanese
    community.

    Lebanon, and many countries of the Middle East -- and especially those
    in the vicinity of the genocidal killing fields in Turkish-occupied
    Western Armenia -- Syria, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine (Israel did
    not exist back then) and Egypt, have a special place in the hearts
    of Armenians worldwide. It is with deep sense of gratitude that I,
    along with succeeding Armenian generations, remember that these noble
    states sheltered our orphaned grandparents escaping from the genocide
    of 1915-1923.

    For me as an Armenian-Lebanese, one of the ways to keep in touch with
    Lebanon has been the Armenian-Lebanese media mainly consisting of ARF
    Dashanktsutiune's Aztag daily, Hunchakian party's Ararad weekly, and
    Ramgavar party's Zartonk bi-weekly. In recent years, I have visited
    the editorial offices of the party organs and others and had very
    interesting and educating conversations with their respective editors.

    During my and my siblings' (Ani, Vatche and Sako) formative years in
    the 1960's and the '70's, our household in Nor Sis (New Sis, named
    after the capital of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia), in the Armenian
    municipality of Bourj Hamoud, was continuously enriched by various
    Armenian publications and Aztag was certainly one of them. To me,
    Armenian publications and equally respectable Lebanese dailies such
    as the Arabic-language Al-Nahar and Al-Anwar, and the French-language
    L'Orient-Le Jour and Le Soir, and monthly La Revue Du Liban were a
    home within a home.

    Each publication has a unique history; some of them spanning over
    several decades. Recently Aztag daily turned 80 years old. Each of the
    passing 80 years brought technological and publishing challenges that
    were successfully overcome by the staff of Aztag under the watchful
    eyes of thousands of avid readers in Lebanon and around the world.

    Despite navigating through eight continuous and sometimes arduous
    decades, this Armenian daily does not show any signs of weakening. It's
    the opposite. It has become very relevant for Armenians in the
    Diaspora.

    In order to present our readers with a glimpse of day-to-day life at
    Aztag, I conducted an interview with Shahan Kandaharian, a young and
    creative Editor.

    The following is the text of the conversation:

    JABARIAN: How do you explain the eighty year-long existence and
    prosperity of Aztag despite the crises experienced by Lebanon and
    the Armenian-Lebanese community?

    KANDAHARIAN: Talking about Aztag Daily's noticeable progress requires
    subjective narration, which I would like to avoid. Nevertheless it
    would be fair to make notes in an objective fashion or to discuss
    the achieved plans. I'm convinced that one should not be satisfied;
    there is still more to be accomplished; and follow-up efforts still
    need to be carried out. The founders and the succeeding directors all
    have made invaluable contributions. It is thanks to them that the daily
    continues to breathe and to thrive since its inception 80 years ago.

    I think, working in synch with contemporary demands, in terms of both
    content and style, is the main prerequisite for ensuring the daily's
    continuity. You know firsthand, as to how extensive an effort must
    be made on a daily basis in order to carry out uninterrupted daily
    publishing throughout the past decades. And in the case of Armenian
    media, one can envision the level of devotion and commitment by
    my predecessors.

    I'd like to add that it is impossible to imagine the daily's survival
    without the ideological power which backs the daily: The Armenian
    Revolutionary Federation. The Dashaktsutiune's multi-faceted
    contributions are the principle source of the daily's vibrant
    performance.

    We should also recognize the decades-long beautiful tradition of
    group cooperation that has been the prevailing modus operandi among
    all the departments - editorial, management, technical, printing
    and distribution.

    It is the entirety of all these elements that in the face of
    crises, difficulties and tribulations experienced by Lebanon and
    the Armenian-Lebanese community enabled the daily to be in a leading
    position in the Armenian media.

    JABARIAN: How do you rate the level of effectiveness of the
    Armenian-Lebanese media in general and Aztag specifically?

    KANDAHARIAN: I can only venture to talk about Aztag. The size of
    the readership of our electronic medium/website or the number of the
    visitors surpasses the number of the readers of the print version. To
    be fair, the Armenian-Lebanese expatriates' existence outside of
    Lebanon plays an important role in making Aztag Daily's website
    so popular.

    In a very short period after the website was launched that we realized
    that the longing by Armenian Lebanese is an integral factor. In other
    words, Aztag Daily's website (www.aztagdaily.com) has become a bridge
    of communication for the Armenian-Lebanese and for that matter all
    Armenians who are interested in closely following developments in
    the community in Lebanon.

    Our website has a multi-media section. An increasing number of
    readers visit the website in order to watch certain interviews or
    to read a particular news item, written in a concise style, about an
    event organized by a certain organization. Now we're in the planning
    stages for facilitating direct web casting of events, interviews,
    press conferences and round table discussions.

    The website also facilitates the flow of news. The website's stability
    in timely dissemination of the news about the Lebanese political and
    security tribulations has become indispensable especially for those
    circles that continue to be deeply concerned about the welfare of
    their compatriots.

    JABARIAN: For many, Aztag daily has become "a second school." Can
    you please elaborate?

    KANDAHARIAN: Today, I wouldn't go that far in qualifying Aztag
    daily as being "a second school." For the preceding generations, I
    think a similar statement would have been appropriate based on their
    testimonies. But today, I don't come across similar testimony made
    by members of middle or younger generations. In terms of the crowded
    field of international media, Aztag Daily's primary function for the
    Armenian reader is to first and foremost be a means to follow Armenian
    community life and to evaluate the role played by the Armenian factor
    in the general political landscape of Lebanon.

    JABARIAN: Is the electronic media a threat to the existence of the
    print media?

    KANDAHARIAN: The World Wide Web and its facilitation of electronic
    media naturally is a revolution in the field of journalism. The
    print media's ability to disseminate news is slow. Today, the speed
    of dissemination by concerned parties of news regarding any event,
    taking place in any corner of the world, is enhanced by the technology
    of satellite transmission via websites.

    When TV became popular, people started saying that the print media's
    role has become meaningless. When TV entered into peoples' homes
    some started questioning the importance of radio. When the web became
    popular and the electronic media proliferated, the question of the day
    became: "Has the print media become endangered?" The fact remains that
    today, the radio, print media with its varying formats, and TV are all
    working. I'm convinced that all the mass media - although different
    in format and style - will continue to function. The issue remains
    to be the challenge of adaptation to new conditions of speedy accuracy.

    JABARIAN: Can you talk about the activities organized by Aztag Daily?

    KANDAHARIAN: In addition to the ten-page daily, there is the task of
    maintaining the website in English language format and the flow of
    news. We also have the publication of the weekly supplement of Yerkir
    weekly in Mesrobian (classical) Armenian orthography; the children's
    "Bzdig M'uzdig" ("Little Mittle") publication that has been widely
    acclaimed and that serves the purpose of establishing a tie between
    the child and the print media from a very young age. The young children
    not only read the publication but also contribute to it. They present
    drawings in its pages. The editorial team and the auxiliary committee
    annually organize two competitions: the first in composition and the
    second in orthography. Around three hundred fifty Armenian students,
    representing all the schools in various parts of Lebanon, participate
    in these competitions.

    The Aztag monthly mirrors the essential events and developments
    related to the Armenian life.

    We also have the Aztag Literary and Aztag Arts periodicals that are
    devoted to narrating the artistic life in their respective fields in
    Armenia and the Diaspora.

    It's been almost one and a half years since the Aztag Press Club
    has been established. The discussions gather the representatives
    of Lebanon's twenty-seven Armenian news organizations. The group
    consists of representatives of Armenian political parties' and various
    denominations' official organs, as well as the representatives of
    literary and cultural publications. The gathering of this group
    fosters the harmonization and healthy formation of the media and
    information field.

    Presently, the editorial board is holding consultative meetings
    with editorial teams of Armenian schools for the specific purpose of
    creating a medium where youth-related issues can be further explored.

    All these efforts pursue the goal of tapping into the collective
    intellectual potential. I think that's one of the functions of
    contemporary Armenian media.
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