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Armenian Media Ahead of the Genocide Centennial
http://asbarez.com/105811/armenian-media-ahead-of-the-genocide-centennial/
Friday, October 5th, 2012
Genocide Museum director Haig Demoyan speaks at the opening of the
Pan-Armenian media conference in Yerevan (photo by Nora Parseghian)
BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN
YEREVAN - The 6th Pan-Armenian Media conference kicked off Thursday in
Yereven, with the aim of discussing challenges facing the Armenian
media ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Organized by Armenia's Diaspora Ministry, some 150 representatives of
print, broadcast and online media have converged on Armenia for a
three day conference.
The conference opened on Thursday at the Yerevan State University
Yeghgishe Charents Hall with welcoming remarks from Diaspora Minister
Hranoush Hakopyan and was followed by welcoming messages from
President Serzh Sarkisian, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Bako
Sahakian, the Catholicos of All Armenians, the Catholicos of the Great
House of Cilicia and others.
The conference participant had an opportunity to attend a session of
Armenia's governmnet and visit the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide
Memorial Monument and Museum, befor leaving for Aghavnadzor to
continue the three-day conference.
Various presentations ranging from the role of the press ahead of the
Genocide Centennial, as well as assessment of the coverage of the
Armenian Genocide in non-Armenian press in the West, the Middle East,
Turkey and elsewhere, will serve as a basis for a final announcement
to be adopted at the conclusion of the conference.
Asbarez Armenian Editor Apo Boghikian and I are representing the
Western Region Armenian Revolutionary Federation press and will have
our analysis at the conclusion of the meeting.
The one theme, which has been echoed from the beginning of the
conference is the Armenian Genocide Cennetenial and common denominator
to bring together all Armenians ahead of this milestone. The
conference participants are echoing that sentiment, with the
additional focus of the role of the media in not just gernering the
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, but also to
amplify our demands for reparations and justice as the main political
reality of the Genocide.
However, there seems to be a push to discourage the Armenian media
from identifying - and more importantly covering - other aspects of our
Armenian reality, such the current socio-political state of Armenia
and resulting socio-economic crisis facing Armenia. We are being told
that by covering those `negative' aspects of the Armenian reality will
provide ammunition to our neighbors - Turkey and Azerbaijan - to further
their anti-Armenian agenda.
This, of course, is a somewhat of a pedestrian approach to coverage of
issues and goes counter to the norms and ethics of journalism to not
cover issues for fear of providing ammunition to your enemies, who,
for all intents and purposes, are not waiting for coverage of
non-Genocide issues in order to advance their denialist and
anti-Armenian policies.
One simple solution to minimize and end negative coverage of the
current socio-political situation in Armenia is that those responsible
for causing those headline - namely the governmnet of Armenis - to end its
pillage of the national wealth and enact reforms that would be
beneficial not just for the citizens of Armenia but the entire
Armenian nation.
The best approach to confronting the challenges ahead of the Genocide
Centennial is to end the rhetoric and the unrealistic expectations to
veil the reality and take measures to correct the wrongs that generate
those `negative' stories. That is the true challenge.
From: Baghdasarian
http://asbarez.com/105811/armenian-media-ahead-of-the-genocide-centennial/
Friday, October 5th, 2012
Genocide Museum director Haig Demoyan speaks at the opening of the
Pan-Armenian media conference in Yerevan (photo by Nora Parseghian)
BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN
YEREVAN - The 6th Pan-Armenian Media conference kicked off Thursday in
Yereven, with the aim of discussing challenges facing the Armenian
media ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
Organized by Armenia's Diaspora Ministry, some 150 representatives of
print, broadcast and online media have converged on Armenia for a
three day conference.
The conference opened on Thursday at the Yerevan State University
Yeghgishe Charents Hall with welcoming remarks from Diaspora Minister
Hranoush Hakopyan and was followed by welcoming messages from
President Serzh Sarkisian, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President Bako
Sahakian, the Catholicos of All Armenians, the Catholicos of the Great
House of Cilicia and others.
The conference participant had an opportunity to attend a session of
Armenia's governmnet and visit the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide
Memorial Monument and Museum, befor leaving for Aghavnadzor to
continue the three-day conference.
Various presentations ranging from the role of the press ahead of the
Genocide Centennial, as well as assessment of the coverage of the
Armenian Genocide in non-Armenian press in the West, the Middle East,
Turkey and elsewhere, will serve as a basis for a final announcement
to be adopted at the conclusion of the conference.
Asbarez Armenian Editor Apo Boghikian and I are representing the
Western Region Armenian Revolutionary Federation press and will have
our analysis at the conclusion of the meeting.
The one theme, which has been echoed from the beginning of the
conference is the Armenian Genocide Cennetenial and common denominator
to bring together all Armenians ahead of this milestone. The
conference participants are echoing that sentiment, with the
additional focus of the role of the media in not just gernering the
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, but also to
amplify our demands for reparations and justice as the main political
reality of the Genocide.
However, there seems to be a push to discourage the Armenian media
from identifying - and more importantly covering - other aspects of our
Armenian reality, such the current socio-political state of Armenia
and resulting socio-economic crisis facing Armenia. We are being told
that by covering those `negative' aspects of the Armenian reality will
provide ammunition to our neighbors - Turkey and Azerbaijan - to further
their anti-Armenian agenda.
This, of course, is a somewhat of a pedestrian approach to coverage of
issues and goes counter to the norms and ethics of journalism to not
cover issues for fear of providing ammunition to your enemies, who,
for all intents and purposes, are not waiting for coverage of
non-Genocide issues in order to advance their denialist and
anti-Armenian policies.
One simple solution to minimize and end negative coverage of the
current socio-political situation in Armenia is that those responsible
for causing those headline - namely the governmnet of Armenis - to end its
pillage of the national wealth and enact reforms that would be
beneficial not just for the citizens of Armenia but the entire
Armenian nation.
The best approach to confronting the challenges ahead of the Genocide
Centennial is to end the rhetoric and the unrealistic expectations to
veil the reality and take measures to correct the wrongs that generate
those `negative' stories. That is the true challenge.
From: Baghdasarian