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Ashot Melikyan. `It would be nice if our political elite at least does
not follow the example of RF in this matter'
November 9 2013
`United Russia' party members have made a legislative initiative to
make changes to the RF law on `Mass Media', which would enable all
media to be mobilized under one common self-regulatory media
organization. MPs believe that in doing this it will be possible to
create one nationwide self-regulatory media organization, which will
regulate all mass media following the principle of pyramid. The
authors of the initiative also believe that the admission to the
organization should be payable, which will be 300 thousand rubles.
According to them, the organization shall be governed by independent
experts, hence, the author of the article at `Nezavisimaya Gazeta'
expresses concerns to this respect that a person, let's say a `foreign
spy' may all of a sudden appear in the aforesaid Board. In the
conversation with Aravot.am, Chairman of `Committee to Protect Freedom
of Expression' Ashot Melikyan said the following about this
initiative, `I think the authors of the initiative have no idea what
mass media self-regulation is, since this process is purely the
business of the journalistic community, the state has nothing to do
with it. If the state wants to do something with the law, it can make
amendments in the legislation regulating purely mass media, but
self-regulation should be left with the journalists. There should not
be compulsion by the state, and if any, it is unacceptable.' The
recommendation regarding the membership fee, Ashot Melikyan responded
as follows, `It should also be determined by the journalistic
community, especially if the fees are too high, that not every media
will be able to pay.' According to Ashot Melikyan, the most serious
problem is that the state in the process of self-regulation,
especially legislatively obliging, has no such function. He observes,
`RF has serious problems with regard to freedom of expression and this
means that even in the self-regulatory process the journalists will
not have the autonomy and will have to abide by state requirements.'
We asked whether he sees any danger with Armenia's joining the
Eurasian Union, that one day something like this would be imposed on
our journalistic community, Mr. Melikyan said, `Our political elite
follows what RF does and in many cases it just copy and paste them.
The overall environment may also have an impact on the decisions of
our political elite; this danger exists. On the other hand, we should
admit that our situation with respect to freedom of expression is much
better than of the RF. Here, RF has something to learn from us, and it
will be good for our political elite, at least in this matter, does
not follow the example of the RF.'
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/11/09/162463/
From: A. Papazian
not follow the example of RF in this matter'
November 9 2013
`United Russia' party members have made a legislative initiative to
make changes to the RF law on `Mass Media', which would enable all
media to be mobilized under one common self-regulatory media
organization. MPs believe that in doing this it will be possible to
create one nationwide self-regulatory media organization, which will
regulate all mass media following the principle of pyramid. The
authors of the initiative also believe that the admission to the
organization should be payable, which will be 300 thousand rubles.
According to them, the organization shall be governed by independent
experts, hence, the author of the article at `Nezavisimaya Gazeta'
expresses concerns to this respect that a person, let's say a `foreign
spy' may all of a sudden appear in the aforesaid Board. In the
conversation with Aravot.am, Chairman of `Committee to Protect Freedom
of Expression' Ashot Melikyan said the following about this
initiative, `I think the authors of the initiative have no idea what
mass media self-regulation is, since this process is purely the
business of the journalistic community, the state has nothing to do
with it. If the state wants to do something with the law, it can make
amendments in the legislation regulating purely mass media, but
self-regulation should be left with the journalists. There should not
be compulsion by the state, and if any, it is unacceptable.' The
recommendation regarding the membership fee, Ashot Melikyan responded
as follows, `It should also be determined by the journalistic
community, especially if the fees are too high, that not every media
will be able to pay.' According to Ashot Melikyan, the most serious
problem is that the state in the process of self-regulation,
especially legislatively obliging, has no such function. He observes,
`RF has serious problems with regard to freedom of expression and this
means that even in the self-regulatory process the journalists will
not have the autonomy and will have to abide by state requirements.'
We asked whether he sees any danger with Armenia's joining the
Eurasian Union, that one day something like this would be imposed on
our journalistic community, Mr. Melikyan said, `Our political elite
follows what RF does and in many cases it just copy and paste them.
The overall environment may also have an impact on the decisions of
our political elite; this danger exists. On the other hand, we should
admit that our situation with respect to freedom of expression is much
better than of the RF. Here, RF has something to learn from us, and it
will be good for our political elite, at least in this matter, does
not follow the example of the RF.'
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/11/09/162463/
From: A. Papazian