PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Center for National and International Studies
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 375033, Armenia
Tel: (+374 – 10) 52.87.80 or 27.48.18
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Website:
August 30, 2005
ACNIS Examines Information Security
Yerevan–The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS)
has convened a number of policy roundtables on security matters, especially
concerning national, economic, and energy safety. Today’s roundtable was
devoted to information security against the background of national and
global safety. The meeting brought together those formerly and currently in
charge of the sector, experts, social and political observers, and media
representatives.
ACNIS analyst Alvard Barkhudarian greeted the audience with opening remarks.
She talked about the traditional and current problems facing information
security, the relevant developments within the international arena, the role
played by the media and journalists in working within the domain of
information security, and other points. “We are deeply convinced that
Armenia must have a conception of information safety that should not be used
for propaganda purposes, but instead ought to help information professionals
make more influential the information and communication technologies (ICT)
or other news sources in which they work. In general, this conception must
be geared toward the future and the improvement of Armenian society’s living
standard,” Barkhudarian noted.
A policy intervention by Boris Navasardian, the Yerevan Press Club chairman,
encompassed the international experience and legislation regarding
information security and also presented interesting details about its status
in Armenia. According to him, since the world is changing, information
security is becoming a contemporary issue and the following three trends are
being observed: the increasing influence of democratic values on
geopolitical events; the fight against terrorism; and the development of new
technologies. Navasardian also presented the international norms for
information safety. He noted that Armenia’s laws solely contain prohibitions
or restrictions. The dissemination of certain information is banned, but no
mechanism is proposed to stop it. The role of the media and information is
being disregarded.
In his address, Aram Abrahamian, the editor of the “Aravot” daily, touched
upon the concept of “dangerous” information, and the professionalism of the
media and the journalists. His policy intervention concluded that if
professionalism is not a panacea that protects the public from perilous
information, then, at the least, it is a prerequisite to accurate
information. Abrahamian mentioned that dangerous information is something
which, in one way or another, presents a threat to state, national, or
public interests. He brought forth a number of examples regarding several
intricacies of the resettlement of liberated territories, Armenian-Georgian
relationships, and particularly the developments unfolding in Javakhk,
intra-political propaganda, and Armenian-Turkish relations. Based on these,
he presented those issues that confront the information sphere. “The key
pressing issue is whether talking about this is merely providing information
or coverage, or whether it is harming national security as well,” observed
Abrahamian, who sees the answer to this in the professionalism of the news
reporter and the editor.
During her policy intervention, Anush Sedrakian, aide to the National
Assembly speaker, made an attempt to define political censorship. In her
words, censorship is carried out in the modern world by means of new
devices, particularly through withholding, delaying, devaluating, and
spinning information. According to Sedrakian, in order to secure desirable
censorship, the discussion of facts must be avoided, only commentaries made,
a direction given to the topic, a certain character conveyed to the event,
etc.
The formal interventions were followed by contributions by Nikolay Grigorian
from the Emergency Management Committee; former minister of state Vahan
Shirkhanian; Seyran Shahsuvarian from the Ministry of Defense; “Mediamax”
News Agency chief editor David Aleverdian; Armenian Center for Political and
International Studies director, political analyst Aghasi Yenokian; Alexander
Iskandarian from the Caucasus Media Institute; Edgar Hakobian of the
“Heritage” Party; ACNIS director of research Stiopa Safarian; and several
others.
Founded in 1994 by Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi K.
Hovannisian and supported by a global network of contributors, ACNIS serves
as a link between innovative scholarship and the public policy challenges
facing Armenia and the Armenian people in the post-Soviet world. It also
aspires to be a catalyst for creative, strategic thinking and a wider
understanding of the new global environment. In 2005, the Center focuses
primarily on civic education, conflict resolution, and applied research on
critical domestic and foreign policy issues for the state and the nation.
For further information on the Center call (37410) 52-87-80 or 27-48-18; fax
(37410) 52-48-46; e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]; or visit
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress