“The worst thing that can happen to a journalist is to become a celebrity,” he told The Progressive in 1997. “The honest job of the journalist is to observe, to listen, to learn. The job of the celebrity is to be observed, to make sure others learn about him or her, to be the object of attention rather than an observer.”

There are much journalists around the world, including Armenia, can learn from the life and decades-long work of Ben Bagkdikian, who died today at his home in Berkeley, California.

While news outlets in Armenia strive to attract overseas ‘trainers’ to their offices, in an attempt to learn the tricks of the trade, they might be well advised to look no further than Bagdikian, a son of Genocide survivors who was born in Marash in 1920, who maintained a level of integrity and determination throughout his long and illustrious journalistic career that can only be described as truly remarkable.

He railed against the corporate monopolization of the media in the U.S.  and focused on conflicts of interest, urging reporters to shy away from the lure of becoming celebrities in their own right.

Bagdikian had little time for TV news and TV news anchors.

He covered the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and had a passion for social justice, growing up as he did in Depression America.

Bagdikian is probably best remembered for his role in getting the Pentagon Paper publicized. Receiving portions from Daniel Ellsberg, Bagdikian passed a copy to Senator Mike Gravel who immediately read them into the Congressional Record.

Bagdikian served as a national and foreign correspondent for numerous newspapers and magazines and authored eight books. For many years he was a professor and dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.

“Never forget,” he told his students at the outset, “that your obligation is to the people. It is not, at heart, to those who pay you, or to your editor, or to your sources, or to your friends, or to the advancement of your career. It is to the public.”

His groundbreaking "The Media Monopoly” (1983) raised the alarm regarding the threat against freedom of expression and independent journalism in a shrinking circle of corporate owners.

Bagdikian’s other works include: “In the Midst of Plenty: The Poor in America,” (1964), “The Information Machines: Their Impact on Men and the Media” (1971), “The Effete Conspiracy and Other Crimes by the Press” (1972), and a memoir, “Double Vision: Reflections on My Heritage, Life and Profession” (1995).

Serious budding journalists searching for some valuable insights into the profession need look no further.