MONITORING OF MASS MEDIA: VIEW FROM ASIDE

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
18 June 2004

With the assistance of the international organization “Article 19”
the Stepanakert Press Club organized training for the representatives
of the Stepanakert mass media. This is another event in the process
of democratization of the society. Training began on June 15. At the
training was present the representative of “Article 19”, coordinator
on South Caucasus Irina Smolina. The training was conducted by the
deputy chairman of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, expert of the
organization “Article 19” Alexey Koshel and the representative of the
Yerevan Press Club Elina Poghosbekian. Of the Artsakh mass media were
invited representatives of the republic newspaper “Azat Artsakh”,
Public Radio and TV, official organ of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation “Aparazh”, newspaper “Hayrenik” as, well as members of the
Press Club. The first day of the training was mainly devoted to the
experience of the mass media of conducting public opinion polls,
monitoring. In reference to this topic Alexey Koshel and Elina
Poghosbekian raised a number of acute problems which were actively
discussed by the participants of the training. At the end of the first
day the participants of the training were offered to take part in a
game and monitor Artsakh mass media. According to the experts, both
teams managed to keep up to the requirements of the game. The second
day was devoted to such important issues as the ethic, the moral code
of the journalist. Both chairperson-experts spoke on these topics. On
the same day due to the efforts of the organizers of the training the
meeting with the chairman of the NKR Central Election Committee Sergey
Davtian took place. The chairman of the CEC pointed out the role of
the mess media during elections. “Without the mass media elections
are impossible,” he said. S. Davtian spoke about certain drawbacks of
the law “On Elections to Municipalities”. Nevertheless, the CEC will
meet the requirement of providing equal rights and conditions for
all the candidates. During the second day the task of the activities
of lawyers and their services was discussed which is important for
maintaining trust between the mass media and the reader or viewer.

SUSANNA BALAYAN. 18-06-2004