LEGISLATIVE REFORMS NECESSARY FOR INCREASING ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN
ANTI-CORRUPTION STRUGGLE

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Cooperation of the National Assembly,
public organizations and mass media is unequivocally necessary for
having success in the anti-corruption struggle. This was mentioned at
the April 7 meeting of the working group discussing problems of mass
media within the framework of the conference dedicated to the theme
“Role of RA National Assembly – Civil Society Cooperation in
Anti-Corruption Struggle” organized by the NA, Eurasia fund, OSCE and
UN Development Program. As Boris Navasardian, the Chairman of the
Yerevan Press Club said in the interview to the Noyan Tapan
correspondent, it’s first of all necessary to increase the role of
mass media in the anti-corruption struggle and their level in covering
that theme. Journalists’ being protected by the law is also important
as covering of corruption event is a dangerous activity for a
journalist. According to B.Navasardian, it’s aslo necessary to exclude
events of corruption in mass media which are connected with activity
of different institutions having influence on mass
media. B.Navasardian found it difficult to mention to what extent the
mentioned problems are solvable in the nearest future as the
parliamentaries’ readiness has a great role in their solution what is
very difficult to expect, taking into account that the elections come
soon. According to the YPC Chairman, it became clear of the
discussions, held within the framework of the conference, with
participation of foreign experts, journalists’ public organizations
and journalists, that there are many things to do. Amendments in some
laws are primary among them: first of all in the Laws On Television
and Radio, Advertisement, Postal Communication. According to
B.Navasardian, it’s necessary to make an attempt to influence on
televisions, as on the most powerful mass media, as soon as possible,
to make their contents closer to public demands. According to him,
coverings dedicated to concrete facts of corruption must be in the TV
broadcast, otherwise, the society will not believe those demands of
the authorities that “a productive anti-corruption struggle is
promoted among us.”