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WHY DON'T RECENT DISMISSALS RAISE QUESTIONS FOR ARMENIA TV STATIONS?
epress.am
11.02.2011 20:08
Armenian TV stations have trouble digesting the news -- any news. The
TV news reporter is not the face of the news she presents.
A parade of resignations has begun: ArmNews continues to broadcast the
president welcoming the new police chief the day after the fact --
even during its 3 pm broadcast. Furthermore, no questions arose for
any TV reporters regarding any of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's
statements on the matter -- why is Police Chief Alik Sargsyan being
dismissed from his post if he has resolved all the issues put before
him? What does it mean that with this appointment "our people will
feel themselves more protected"?
The issue is that Armenian TV stations have not yet decided where the
boundary between TV and online news media lies. It's obvious that no
one from the TV stations stood on guard outside the Republican Party
of Armenia's central office. But it's also a fact that the TV station
cannot be satisfied with information acquired by telephone.
The third problem is that at the time of his dismissal, a state
official presents a greater interest for opposition or online news
outlets and is more accessible to them as he has nothing to lose. This
is why the reporter from local opposition daily Haykakan Jamanak
("Armenian Times") can more easily get in touch with National Assembly
Chair Hovik Abrahamyan than any TV station.
The TV station knows that it is outside of the imperative of urgent
information. Armenia TV's Zham ("Hour") news program differs in many
ways from its website. Zham's webpage was the first to report on Alik
Sargsyan's dismissal; however, the news ppeared on the televised news
program only the next day.
Shant TV began its Horizon news program with Hovik Abrahamyan's
resignation. However, none of the Horizon reporters were outside the
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) office. That is, the journalist's
work is absent in the news; the news is served after the already
established fact.
Suppose local daily Joghovurd ("People" or "Nation") was the first to
find out that Yerevan mayor Karen Karapetyan was going to resign. The
news, which wasn't yet fact, was already known two days beforehand.
Clearly the paper has its sources among government circles, but the
news wasn't solely about the resignation; the news was also about why
is he resigning and where is he going? Who did he have problems with
and what sort of problems were they?
Instead, H1â~@²s Tesankyun ("Point of View") is active in this
sense. The commentator watched the former mayor's interview with
ArmNews and, in his words, approximately figured out why Karen
Karapetyan is going to Gazprom.
If knowing that is urgent, then you, commentator, who also work at
Haylur, you should've tried to figure it out as a Haylur reporter.
That is to say, get a hold of Karen Karapetyan through your "channels"
and personally find out why he's moving to Gazprom.
And the already out-of-office mayor shouldn't be ridiculed on H1
(Armenia's Public TV), that "he's leaving on a mission." You are
authorized to understand a person's decision, but a journalist
differs from a TV viewer in that, to put it this way, he strips
bare a person's decision. Since you haven't yet uncovered the facts,
don't laugh at him.
After all, he responded to those questions that he was asked. Are you
not satisfied with what was said? Did you have any other questions for
the former mayor? Ask him. Remember, without giving details so far, H1
doesn't have the right to ridicule even a citizen of Armenia murderer.
The entire country wants to know what's happening with the ruling
administration. Online news media and newspaper write of nearly
nothing else.
Vladimir Gasparyan, in the presence of the president and former police
chief, says, "It's probably the time to move from words to action."
This sentence was broadcast by all the TV stations. And no one was
curious where the newly appointed police chief's sense of ethics were?
what are the words that have to be turned into action? whose words
are they -- his, Serzh Sargsyan's or the former police chief's who
have built the state administration system only with words?
I understand that Haylur cannot ask too many questions, but why don't
these dismissals raise questions for the other local TV stations?
And, by the way, doesn't the fact that high-ranking officials are
giving their reasons for being dismissed through private news outlets
give Armenia's Public Television, purely as a provider of information,
a cause for concern?
If it doesn't see a problem, allow me to observe that you shouldn't
ridicule those from whom you haven't personally "wrung out" the
reasons for their resignation.
This article was written by Mher Arshakyan and originally published
on Media.am.
epress.am
11.02.2011 20:08
Armenian TV stations have trouble digesting the news -- any news. The
TV news reporter is not the face of the news she presents.
A parade of resignations has begun: ArmNews continues to broadcast the
president welcoming the new police chief the day after the fact --
even during its 3 pm broadcast. Furthermore, no questions arose for
any TV reporters regarding any of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's
statements on the matter -- why is Police Chief Alik Sargsyan being
dismissed from his post if he has resolved all the issues put before
him? What does it mean that with this appointment "our people will
feel themselves more protected"?
The issue is that Armenian TV stations have not yet decided where the
boundary between TV and online news media lies. It's obvious that no
one from the TV stations stood on guard outside the Republican Party
of Armenia's central office. But it's also a fact that the TV station
cannot be satisfied with information acquired by telephone.
The third problem is that at the time of his dismissal, a state
official presents a greater interest for opposition or online news
outlets and is more accessible to them as he has nothing to lose. This
is why the reporter from local opposition daily Haykakan Jamanak
("Armenian Times") can more easily get in touch with National Assembly
Chair Hovik Abrahamyan than any TV station.
The TV station knows that it is outside of the imperative of urgent
information. Armenia TV's Zham ("Hour") news program differs in many
ways from its website. Zham's webpage was the first to report on Alik
Sargsyan's dismissal; however, the news ppeared on the televised news
program only the next day.
Shant TV began its Horizon news program with Hovik Abrahamyan's
resignation. However, none of the Horizon reporters were outside the
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) office. That is, the journalist's
work is absent in the news; the news is served after the already
established fact.
Suppose local daily Joghovurd ("People" or "Nation") was the first to
find out that Yerevan mayor Karen Karapetyan was going to resign. The
news, which wasn't yet fact, was already known two days beforehand.
Clearly the paper has its sources among government circles, but the
news wasn't solely about the resignation; the news was also about why
is he resigning and where is he going? Who did he have problems with
and what sort of problems were they?
Instead, H1â~@²s Tesankyun ("Point of View") is active in this
sense. The commentator watched the former mayor's interview with
ArmNews and, in his words, approximately figured out why Karen
Karapetyan is going to Gazprom.
If knowing that is urgent, then you, commentator, who also work at
Haylur, you should've tried to figure it out as a Haylur reporter.
That is to say, get a hold of Karen Karapetyan through your "channels"
and personally find out why he's moving to Gazprom.
And the already out-of-office mayor shouldn't be ridiculed on H1
(Armenia's Public TV), that "he's leaving on a mission." You are
authorized to understand a person's decision, but a journalist
differs from a TV viewer in that, to put it this way, he strips
bare a person's decision. Since you haven't yet uncovered the facts,
don't laugh at him.
After all, he responded to those questions that he was asked. Are you
not satisfied with what was said? Did you have any other questions for
the former mayor? Ask him. Remember, without giving details so far, H1
doesn't have the right to ridicule even a citizen of Armenia murderer.
The entire country wants to know what's happening with the ruling
administration. Online news media and newspaper write of nearly
nothing else.
Vladimir Gasparyan, in the presence of the president and former police
chief, says, "It's probably the time to move from words to action."
This sentence was broadcast by all the TV stations. And no one was
curious where the newly appointed police chief's sense of ethics were?
what are the words that have to be turned into action? whose words
are they -- his, Serzh Sargsyan's or the former police chief's who
have built the state administration system only with words?
I understand that Haylur cannot ask too many questions, but why don't
these dismissals raise questions for the other local TV stations?
And, by the way, doesn't the fact that high-ranking officials are
giving their reasons for being dismissed through private news outlets
give Armenia's Public Television, purely as a provider of information,
a cause for concern?
If it doesn't see a problem, allow me to observe that you shouldn't
ridicule those from whom you haven't personally "wrung out" the
reasons for their resignation.
This article was written by Mher Arshakyan and originally published
on Media.am.