YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 21-27, 2007
HIGHLIGHTS:
"PRESS CLUB" CYCLE: NEW PARLIAMENT AND INNER POLITICAL SITUATION AHEAD OF
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
OSCE/ODIHR FINAL REPORT ON PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA
"ARMENIAN PHOTOGRAPHERS" ENCYCLOPEDIA PUBLISHED
CLAUDE-JEAN BERTRAND DECEASED
"PRESS CLUB" CYCLE: NEW PARLIAMENT AND INNER POLITICAL SITUATION AHEAD OF
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
On September 26 another "Press Club" show went on the evening air of "Yerkir
Media" TV company. The guest of the program host, the President of Yerevan
Press Club Boris Navasardian, was the leader of the National Democratic
Union Vazgen Manukian, faced by experts, the Chief Editor of "Azg" daily
Hagop Avedikian and the head of Transparency International-Armenia Amalia
Kostanian. The discussion subject was the start of the new parliament’s work
and the domestic political situation in Armenia before the presidential
elections.
The next program of "Press Club" cycle will be aired by "Yerkir Media" on
Wednesday, October 3 at 21.40.
The "Press Club" cycle is produced under a project of Media Diversity
Institute, with the support of the United Nations Development Program, Open
Society Institute Assistance Foundation-Armenia and the British Council
Armenia.
OSCE/ODIHR FINAL REPORT ON PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN ARMENIA
The OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission published its final report on
the parliamentary elections in Armenia, held on May 12, 2007. Among other
aspects of the election campaign the observers assessed the work of media.
The report notes in particular the high rates for political advertising as
established by broadcasters. As a result, few election contestants used paid
advertising. Besides, in some cases political advertising was aired without
a due title, and sometimes – was broadcast within commercial breaks.
"Neither of these breaches of the broadcasting law prompted any reaction
>From the oversight bodies", the document says. The allegations that the
Mission received regarding the unbalanced coverage of political forces of
the country, in the opinion of the observers, are due to the absence of
provisions, regulating the media work before the official campaign. The
situation, as the report noted, changed with the start of the pre-election
campaign: there was a noticeable increase of media attention to campaign
events and election contestants in their newscasts, current affairs programs
and talk shows. In particular, the observers mention the pre-election TV
debate series, organized by Yerevan Press Club on "Yerkir Media" TV channel.
"Overall, many national media (both in Yerevan and in other parts of the
country) made a visible effort to cover a broad range of political subjects
and thus to comply with legal provisions requiring equal conditions",
observers of OSCE/ODIHR believe.
At the same time, as media monitoring of OSCE/ODIHR showed, most of the TV
channels devoted the highest portion of coverage in the newscasts to
activities of the government and three political parties – the Republican
Party of Armenia, "Prosperous Armenia" and ARF "Dashnaktsutiun". The TV
coverage of government activities included a main focus on Prime Minister
Serge Sargsian. In the opinion of the observers, the not clear
distinguishing of the public appearances of Serge Sargsian as a Prime
Minister and as an election contestant is a reflection of a "broader issue
that legal provisions concerning campaigning by officials and its
presentation by the media are difficult to apply and enforce".
When reporting about election contestants the media paid attention
principally to the positions of leading political personalities towards
actual issues and questions, as well as to their previous achievements,
rather than to the political perspectives or platforms of the political
forces they represented, the OSCE/ODIHR observers believe. At the same time,
TV channels in their main newscasts presented positive and neutral
information, limiting to a minimum critical remarks. The observers also
noted that the media respected the silence period that started 24 hours
before the election day; with the exception for "Hayots Ashkhar" daily that
published materials bearing promotional signs of the Republican Party of
Armenia on May 11.
The First Channel of the Public Television of Armenia and the Public Radio
of Armenia "tried to purse an editorial line that would guarantee equal
conditions for contestants", covering predominantly major parties, those
represented in the parliament and those carrying out an active campaign, the
report says. The coverage in the main evening newscast of the Public Radio
was balanced, and its highest portion was accounted for by Republican Party,
"Orinats Yerkir" and People’s Party of Armenia.
In the opinion of the report authors, the PTA First Channel mostly ensured
the representation of political subjects on its air, yet its coverage of
"Orinats Yerkir" "called into question whether the channel’s qualitative
approach towards that party was really unbiased" (this refers to the almost
verbatim presentation on the air of the article from "Golos Armenii"
newspaper of April 21, 2007, containing the secret recording of the
conversation the leader of "Orinats Yerkir" Artur Baghdasarian had with a
British diplomat). Not withstanding the editorial freedom to inform the
public about important events, the observers think that the First Channel
"did not uphold journalistic standard by not presenting any response from
‘Orinats Yerkir’". The report also notes that the pre-election as well as
post-election coverage by First Channel of some opposition forces, such as
"Heritage" party, "Republic" party, "Impeachment" bloc and "New Times"
party, raises "concern about the channel’s objectivity and impartiality in
presenting different views in an unbiased manner".
Having studied the work of private broadcasters, the OSCE/ODIHR observers
arrived at the conclusion that in the news programs of all nationwide
private television channels the government was given the highest share of
coverage – almost exclusively positive and neutral in tone. Apart from the
authorities the largest part of the attention of private broadcasters was
focused on three parties – Republican Party, "Prosperous Armenia" and
"Dashnaktsutiun". Critical information about these parties was almost
completely absent. Critical viewpoints were aired only by radio stations,
mainly the programs of the Armenian Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty.
As to print media, they offered readers a diversity of views, including
critical comments and presented a diversity of political forces and
majoritarian candidates. However, they often displayed an unbalanced
approach. More balanced and analytical reporting was noticed in "Aravot"
daily, the final report of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission says.
"ARMENIAN PHOTOGRAPHERS" ENCYCLOPEDIA PUBLISHED
"Armenian Photographers" biographical reference book was published. It
author, a well-known Armenian photographer Vahan Kochar gathered together
over 500 photographers of Armenian origin that worked or still work in
Armenia and abroad since later 19th century to this day. The 450-page
encyclopedia presents biographies, facsimiles, and the works of the
photography professionals of the past and present, many of whom are also
photojournalists. The book is produced at "Tigran Mets" publishing house
with a print run of 1,000 copies.
CLAUDE-JEAN BERTRAND DECEASED
On September 21 Claude-Jean Bertrand, Professor Emeritus of University
Paris-2, passed away in Paris. Claude-Jean Bertrand devoted his professional
life to studying the media ethics, media accountability systems and their
deontology. Having authored numerous works, he contributed greatly to the
introduction of norms of professional conduct in different countries of the
world, including Armenia. In 2000 in "Journalist Library" series of Yerevan
Press Club the Armenian translation of Claude-Jean Bertrand’s book was
published – titled "Saving Press Freedom the Safe Way. Media Ethics and
Accountability Systems". Claude-Jean Bertrand made numerous visits to
Armenia to share his vast experience with Armenian colleagues. He was not
only our many-year partner, but also a good friend.
Yerevan Press Club expresses its sincere condolences to the wife, the
children, the grandchildren, all the friends of Claude-Jean Bertrand.
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
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