JOURNALISTS ON POLITICAL QUEST

Lragir.am
10 July 06

The criminal-oligarchic efforts to keep journalists away are not a
novelty in Armenia. The reason is clear. The activity of the free
media in a criminal-clannish state is rather complicated. Upholding
public interest by the media constantly clashes with the interests
of one influential group or another. However, this is not the only
problem of the "writers’ cartel". Recently other tendencies connected
with the activities of the media have started outlining. Certain news
reporters and even media are accused of waiting on criminal-clannish
groups. Only accusations against the Armenian TV companies mean
much. The status of the so-called opposition media is much more
interesting, for the tendency to wait on the interests of essentially
conservative criminal business and government structures is outlining
in their information policies.

The Armenian political reality is apparently restricting the boundaries
of freedom of reporting. Blackmail and bribes are levers, which make
reporters and even media to make up their mind. In that case, the
media, which are reluctant to transgress professional ethic, have
to become engaged in a "mortal" combat or yield to their fate. In
the second case, the public loses its last defenders, getting a
professional army of "misinformers" disguised as champions of the
"public interest" instead. It is said for such people: "Fear those
who kill the soul."

Modern Armenia has been caught in a storm, where it is difficult
to recognize who is who in the environment of the mass media. It
is difficult but not impossible. We may even say that it is a time
when the "pack of wolves" is peeping from behind the "mask of a
lamb". Besides, a disorder has occurred. Scribes, who have "yielded
to the fate", make the public look askance at honest and consistent
reporters. Recently an incident was reported during a round-table
meeting at the Congress Hotel. A famous political scientist declined
to speak with cameras on, and accused reporters of venality in their
presence. He accused without making a distinction, which insulted many
of them and made them leave the hall. It was an unpleasant scene. But
the behavior of the mass media that evening and the next day showed
that the political scientist was not mistaken.

The evidence to this was the reporting on the round-table meeting.

Where is Armenia headed for? And are those people who "yielded to the
fate" thinking how their children are going to live in this country?

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress