EDITORS DISCUSS PRINT MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN
armradio.am
11.02.2008 17:17
Editor-in-chief of "Yerkir" weekly Spartak Seyranyan stated in Yerevan
today that "many of the Armenian newspapers replicate hatred."
Speaking at a news conference devoted to the coverage of the
pre-election campaign by print media, Spartak Seyranyan stated that
the newspapers "often publish accusations the candidates pour on
each other, taken out from the context, forgetting that after the
elections life will continue."
Seyranyan noted that newspapers try to satisfy the demands of the
society, which, unfortunately, prefers gutter press and disdains from
elite journalism."
The editor-in-chief of "Azg" newspaper Hakob Avetikyan expressed his
disagreement to such assessment of public preferences. According to
him, "main part of the readers is a serious and thinking segment of
the society."
Hakob Avetikyan stated that, according to preliminary calculations,
the number of such readers makes about 120 thousand people, "and this
is not a small number for Armenia."
Editor-in-chief of "Azg" newspaper expressed the opinion that in the
process of the pre-election campaign people prefer print media rather
than TV Channels. In this context, one can say with confidence that
the print press plays the most influential role and this should not
be neglected, Hakob Avetikyan stated.
The editors also noted that the pre-election staffs of the candidates
are reluctant to cooperate with the newspapers, preferring TV, and
in such cases it is difficult to secure pluralism of opinions.