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Lragir, Armenia
Feb 15 2008
RECORDS THAT WERE NOT SET IN ARMENIA
The Russian president Vladimir Putin breaks his own records of news
conferences. His latest news conference was unprecedented: 4 hours 41
minutes duration, 100 questions, over 1360 accredited reporters. In
fact, it is highly impressive. Perhaps it is Putin's last large news
conference as president of Russia although he may hold one more,
since he will be in office for two or three more months. However, it
is not important anymore because the Russian president observed the
custom he established during his office to hold annual news
conferences. As one tracks the dynamics, Putin has involved more and
more journalists in communication with him, at least once a year,
enabling national, regional and foreign media to ask him questions.
It is not definitely true that all the reporters are satisfied with
Putin's answers, but it is already the problem of the media because
they are given a chance to ask questions.
As I watched Putin's news conference, I started thinking about the
attitude of the Armenian president towards the media. During his
office Kocharyan did not enlarge the volume of his communication with
the media but reduced it to three TV companies. Sometimes it happens,
of course, that the president invites some more TV channels and
newspapers to accompany him in foreign visits but he mainly invites
the media which have a positive attitude towards him, or at least do
not criticize and ask undesirable questions. Usually, however, Robert
Kocharyan gets in touch with those media only in case he has
something to say on a definite home political issue. In other words,
the media are not enabled to ask a question to the president but are
sent for to record the words of the president.
This is the general picture of the contact between Robert Kocharyan
and the media. It is not clear why Robert Kocharyan for whom Vladimir
Putin has always been a model would not act similarly, especially
that it would only improve Robert Kocharyan's image because the
president who is ready to answer possibly more questions and enable
possibly more media to ask these questions is always highly
appreciated. The problem might be the difference of the results of
government. In other words, Putin has probably conducted a policy
which enables him to answer questions, of course, independent from
how frank and satisfactory the answers are. Meanwhile, Robert
Kocharyan's answers are few, or some questions do not have an answer
at all. After all, it is not always possible to ascribe all the good
things to oneself, and explain all the bad things by the 1990's. It
is also possible that Robert Kocharyan is reluctant to hold a big
news conference at least once a year. He has no wish and that's it.
It is also possible. After all, the president is free to make a
decision, and has perhaps a constitutional right not to hold a news
conference. However, perhaps this is the only case when using his
right is not commendable.
JAMES HAKOBYAN
Feb 15 2008
RECORDS THAT WERE NOT SET IN ARMENIA
The Russian president Vladimir Putin breaks his own records of news
conferences. His latest news conference was unprecedented: 4 hours 41
minutes duration, 100 questions, over 1360 accredited reporters. In
fact, it is highly impressive. Perhaps it is Putin's last large news
conference as president of Russia although he may hold one more,
since he will be in office for two or three more months. However, it
is not important anymore because the Russian president observed the
custom he established during his office to hold annual news
conferences. As one tracks the dynamics, Putin has involved more and
more journalists in communication with him, at least once a year,
enabling national, regional and foreign media to ask him questions.
It is not definitely true that all the reporters are satisfied with
Putin's answers, but it is already the problem of the media because
they are given a chance to ask questions.
As I watched Putin's news conference, I started thinking about the
attitude of the Armenian president towards the media. During his
office Kocharyan did not enlarge the volume of his communication with
the media but reduced it to three TV companies. Sometimes it happens,
of course, that the president invites some more TV channels and
newspapers to accompany him in foreign visits but he mainly invites
the media which have a positive attitude towards him, or at least do
not criticize and ask undesirable questions. Usually, however, Robert
Kocharyan gets in touch with those media only in case he has
something to say on a definite home political issue. In other words,
the media are not enabled to ask a question to the president but are
sent for to record the words of the president.
This is the general picture of the contact between Robert Kocharyan
and the media. It is not clear why Robert Kocharyan for whom Vladimir
Putin has always been a model would not act similarly, especially
that it would only improve Robert Kocharyan's image because the
president who is ready to answer possibly more questions and enable
possibly more media to ask these questions is always highly
appreciated. The problem might be the difference of the results of
government. In other words, Putin has probably conducted a policy
which enables him to answer questions, of course, independent from
how frank and satisfactory the answers are. Meanwhile, Robert
Kocharyan's answers are few, or some questions do not have an answer
at all. After all, it is not always possible to ascribe all the good
things to oneself, and explain all the bad things by the 1990's. It
is also possible that Robert Kocharyan is reluctant to hold a big
news conference at least once a year. He has no wish and that's it.
It is also possible. After all, the president is free to make a
decision, and has perhaps a constitutional right not to hold a news
conference. However, perhaps this is the only case when using his
right is not commendable.
JAMES HAKOBYAN