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JOURNALISTS DISPUTE MEDIA SURVEY'S PRAISE
Marianna Grigoryan
EurasiaNet.org
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/64051
Aug 16, 2011
NY
A recent study found Armenia has the friendliest media environment
in the Caucasus and Central Asia, a notoriously tough neighborhood
for reporters. But Armenian journalists beg to differ.
In its tenth-annual Media Sustainability Index, IREX, a
Washington-based development organization that supports media
development initiatives, praised marginal improvements to Armenia's
media environment such as the decriminalization of libel. The country
received a score of 2.09 on a 0-4 scale, the best score in the region.
By comparison, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which routinely jail
journalists, scored 0.35 and 0.56 respectively.
"The overall score for Armenia showed solid improvement, driven by
increases in most of the objectives," says the report for Europe
and Eurasia. "The most remarkable improvement came in Objective 1,
freedom of speech, primarily as a result of decriminalization of
libel and defamation laws."
But local journalists say the findings distort reality. Libel may
have been decriminalized, they say, but media outlets still face
regular harassment in the form of civil suits.
The editor-in-chief of the popular Armenian daily Aravot, Aram
Abrahamian, joked that if this report were published on April 1, he
would see it as "gentle humor" designed for April Fools' Day. "But
since it was published on an ordinary day, I think that IREX decided
to mock us or shock people," Abrahamian said.
Abrahamian and other journalists found IREX's praise for the
decriminalization of libel particularly puzzling, describing multiple,
debilitating civil suits brought by wealthy businesspeople and
politicians against critical news outlets.
"Progress is simply out of the question," said Hayk Gevorgian, editor
of the opposition daily Haykakan Zhamanak. In the past year the paper
has faced legal persecution and suffered financial losses after being
forced to pay damages following civil suits.
A July 19 report by the Yerevan-based Committee to Protect Freedom
of Expression said that so far this year, 14 defamation and libel
lawsuits were brought against media outlets and journalists - an
unprecedented number for Armenia.
In light of such pressure, Ashot Melikian, the committee head, called
IREX's assessment "perplexing." "There are no serious changes in
Armenia," Melikian said.
"I don't understand what they mean by saying 'progress.'" Levon
Barseghian, president of the Gyumri Asparez journalist club told
EurasiaNet.org. Armenia is "a country where the broadcast media are
strongly controlled and half-censored."
Journalists did find room for agreement, however, on the growing
and important role of social media in shaping a freer future for
Armenia's media. The IREX report praises the number and influence of
online news sources and the role of citizen journalists.
"Issues raised in online media, blogs, and social networking tools like
Facebook or YouTube eventually seep into traditional media coverage,
allowing for greater impact," the report says. "This, however, is no
guarantee that these sources are necessarily and predominantly reliable
or objective. Freedom in online media brings both wheat and weeds."
Prominent blogger Samvel Martirosian told EurasiaNet.org that the
impact of online media on traditional journalism is profound. In the
past, authorities tried to influence television and newspapers, but
are now having trouble controlling the flow of information thanks to
the Internet.
"I believe traditional media have seen almost no change," said
Martirosian, who is also an information security expert. But "the
impact of online media is increasing dramatically."
Editor's note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance reporter based
in Yerevan.
Marianna Grigoryan
EurasiaNet.org
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/64051
Aug 16, 2011
NY
A recent study found Armenia has the friendliest media environment
in the Caucasus and Central Asia, a notoriously tough neighborhood
for reporters. But Armenian journalists beg to differ.
In its tenth-annual Media Sustainability Index, IREX, a
Washington-based development organization that supports media
development initiatives, praised marginal improvements to Armenia's
media environment such as the decriminalization of libel. The country
received a score of 2.09 on a 0-4 scale, the best score in the region.
By comparison, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which routinely jail
journalists, scored 0.35 and 0.56 respectively.
"The overall score for Armenia showed solid improvement, driven by
increases in most of the objectives," says the report for Europe
and Eurasia. "The most remarkable improvement came in Objective 1,
freedom of speech, primarily as a result of decriminalization of
libel and defamation laws."
But local journalists say the findings distort reality. Libel may
have been decriminalized, they say, but media outlets still face
regular harassment in the form of civil suits.
The editor-in-chief of the popular Armenian daily Aravot, Aram
Abrahamian, joked that if this report were published on April 1, he
would see it as "gentle humor" designed for April Fools' Day. "But
since it was published on an ordinary day, I think that IREX decided
to mock us or shock people," Abrahamian said.
Abrahamian and other journalists found IREX's praise for the
decriminalization of libel particularly puzzling, describing multiple,
debilitating civil suits brought by wealthy businesspeople and
politicians against critical news outlets.
"Progress is simply out of the question," said Hayk Gevorgian, editor
of the opposition daily Haykakan Zhamanak. In the past year the paper
has faced legal persecution and suffered financial losses after being
forced to pay damages following civil suits.
A July 19 report by the Yerevan-based Committee to Protect Freedom
of Expression said that so far this year, 14 defamation and libel
lawsuits were brought against media outlets and journalists - an
unprecedented number for Armenia.
In light of such pressure, Ashot Melikian, the committee head, called
IREX's assessment "perplexing." "There are no serious changes in
Armenia," Melikian said.
"I don't understand what they mean by saying 'progress.'" Levon
Barseghian, president of the Gyumri Asparez journalist club told
EurasiaNet.org. Armenia is "a country where the broadcast media are
strongly controlled and half-censored."
Journalists did find room for agreement, however, on the growing
and important role of social media in shaping a freer future for
Armenia's media. The IREX report praises the number and influence of
online news sources and the role of citizen journalists.
"Issues raised in online media, blogs, and social networking tools like
Facebook or YouTube eventually seep into traditional media coverage,
allowing for greater impact," the report says. "This, however, is no
guarantee that these sources are necessarily and predominantly reliable
or objective. Freedom in online media brings both wheat and weeds."
Prominent blogger Samvel Martirosian told EurasiaNet.org that the
impact of online media on traditional journalism is profound. In the
past, authorities tried to influence television and newspapers, but
are now having trouble controlling the flow of information thanks to
the Internet.
"I believe traditional media have seen almost no change," said
Martirosian, who is also an information security expert. But "the
impact of online media is increasing dramatically."
Editor's note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance reporter based
in Yerevan.