SPECIAL ISSUE OF YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
JULY 14, 2009
PERSPECTIVE
WITCHHUNT AS A FORM OF DIALOGUE?
Throughout the 14 years of its existence, regardless of the way the
solitaire on the Armenian political table dealt out, Yerevan Press Club has
considered and will consider the principled, fair criticism of authorities
to be an important tool of strengthening the statehood in our country. We
are convinced that the national interest can only be realized through the
well-established, strong democratic institutes. And our reluctance to put up
with any steps, directed to restricting the free media, diversity of
opinion, is due, among other things, to a concern about protecting our state
from various inner and outer dangers.
Unfortunately, a number of newspaper articles of the recent months show that
the certain power circles prefer different ways of "protection". They see
almost the utmost danger for the national security to be a group of
independent NGOs, and the main weapon against them to be squibs in
periodicals that do not worry about good reputation. The many years of
observing Armenian media allows us to immediately determine what and why is
written and uttered, when the treatise on "grant-mongers" (that is,
non-profit, non-governmental organizations) is purely a product of
inferiority complex, jealousy or simple ignorance, and when the cheap
ambitions of failed journalists (politicians, 007 agents) are exploited for
the sake of "national interest".
It is not the hateful peeps of a flock of alleged writers, able to change
skins several times a day and despised by the journalistic profession itself
that we care about. These peeps are just the side effects of free
expression. But we cannot remain impartial to the fact that people who
define the policy of the state in various spheres resort to their service.
And only in such cases does Yerevan Press Club respond to publications that
pique it: the last time was three and half years ago (see "Statement by
President of Yerevan Press Club Boris Navasardian", YPC Weekly Newsletter,
February 3-9, 2006), and again only when such pieces are obviously ordered.
This note of today is not addressed to those who sign newspaper squeals –
often in fictitious names. These people do not deserve referring to. We
address the backstage initiators of the new phase of harassment of
personalities and organizations, bold enough to speak their mind: should we
see the witchhunt to be a peculiar form of public dialogue, so loudly
announced as necessary after the tragic March 1, 2008?
With all the numerous challenges that our country faces today, its
information space is dominated by petty squabble, as to whether the member
of Armenian delegation in Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe should
or should not have approached the MP from Azerbaijan. Along with this, the
very "courageous" and, what is more important, very "principled" "guards" of
national interest had their pens ready to "fight back" the independent civil
sector. Should it disappear, there will be much less talk about corruption,
incompetent governance, election fraud, human rights violations, violence
against journalists, stronger pressure on media. Chances are, this
"malevolence" will stop completely. And who else can rise up to the
honorable mission of advancing the country towards such idyllic future by
"democratic methods", if not the "special press", trained to chase the
opponents!
…All of us need to think seriously about the protection of our statehood,
seeing from whom, how and through what – with no slightest disgust – it is
going to be protected…
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
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Yerevan Press Club
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0002, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 10) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
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