According to Tigran Farmanyan, the editor-in-chief of the only government-subsidized newspaper, Hayastani Hanrapetutyun , "There is freedom of speech in Armenia-even in the USA the press is not as free, but in Armenia there is no independent press." By independence, Faramanyan means financial independence.

He explains that a newspaper can achieve independence if it sells at least 8,000 copies a day. "A newspaper has two sources of income-sales and advertising. There isn't enough sales, and advertising is very cheap.Hayastani Hanrapetutyun gets 20% of its funding from the government. The paper can survive only three months on that amount." This situation, he says, affects the professionalism of journalists. "Today, at any newspaper, a journalist has several roles-he can be a reporter, analyst, photographer, and so on. The financial state of the newspapers does not allow them to have specialized journalists, such as a reporter on classical music or dance." He doesn't believe that there is a newspaper in Armenia that will accurately report the number of people present at any particular protest meeting, and cites a lack of professionalism as the cause. "There isn't a newspaper that is really independent. It's simple arithmetic," Farmanyan said.

Nikol Pashinyan, editor-in-chief of Haykakan Zhamanak, sees things differently. "I don't understand what it means when someone says the press is free but not independent. Free means independent, and vice versa. If by saying freedom of speech we mean a system, then obviously we're not taking the proper approach. Freedom of speech implies that every person is free to express himself. That is not the case in Armenia," Pashinyan said. He believes that every television channel is censored. " If we look at freedom of speech as a set of values, as a system for exchanging views, then it isn't at work. That is, a political figure cannot express his opinion on TV or in most newspapers." Pashinyan believes that there are places where freedom of speech is possible, and one of them is Haykakan Zhamanak. He doesn't, however, see Haykakan Zhamanak as an opposition paper. " In Armenia , when they say opposition newspaper, it means it's an opposition-owned newspaper. When we criticize the government, it may make our stand similar to the opposition's, but that doesn't mean we don't criticize the opposition as well. There aren't any people, or any topics, that we won't touch. Being in opposition is the highest degree of freedom, because you can't be in opposition unless you are free." Pashinyan believes that today, journalists in Armenia , along with politicians, the president, the prime minister, and ordinary citizens, all lack a sense of duty. Professionalism on the part of journalists means that readers don't have to expend a lot of extra effort on the material, that all their questions are answered. He agrees that the financial factors influence the degree of freedom, and notes proudly that Haykakan Zhamanak is the most profitable socio-political newspaper in Armenia today. "If the newspapers learn to live more modestly, to adjust their expectations, they can survive on their income. We fought to do that. There is no other newspaper where you'll witness that achievement. We didn't sacrifice our independence for the quality of our walls."

Aram Abrahamyan, editor-in-chief of Aravot, explained, "If suddenly Aravot doesn't have any sponsors, it still won't close. We'll tighten our belts and forfeit the luxuries we're used to today. These luxuries are specialized journalists, good salaries, and normal working conditions. Regarding the situation with television companies, Abrahamyan said, " Today, Armenia 's advertising market can feed only three or four TV companies." He believes that the mass media can survive on its own, if it finds topics that interest society. "When someone wakes up, he should have an unquenchable desire to run to the store and buy a newspaper. We haven't achieved that. We write about how Arshak Sadoyan's dog bit Manuk Gasparyan's cat. People don't care about that stuff." Abrahamyan wants freedom of speech in Armenia to take the same form it has in Holland or Belgium , where "self expression is censored or constrained neither in the press, nor in meetings, protests, or on the street." He says that freedom of speech is a broad category, of which only 10-15% relates directly to the press. " For instance ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan doesn't have freedom of speech. She can't talk on H1 about the problems she faces in her work."

Vardan Vardanyan, the editor-in-chief of Aib Fe is concerned about problems related to freedom of speech and the independence of the press, and believes that two things cannot be in the same place at the same time. " They say that the press should be free and responsible. If I have to choose between a free and responsible press or a responsible and controlled press, then I will choose the former since the damages caused by the second are irreversible. The government's desire to control the press has caused the present situation. In Armenia , there aren't any informative media. Instead, there are propaganda media." Vardanyan believes that it's better for a journalist to be completely free than to be in chains, as is the case today. "We must win our freedom," he said.

Vasak Darbinyan, editor-in-chief of the electronic newspaper Taregir , shares his colleague's view. " In Armenia, there is no freedom of speech; there is corruption and degradation, which in no way can be called freedom of speech. The government allows only a slight degree of freedom of speech, so that its peace is not disturbed. There are a couple of free newspapers, but their sales are so low that they have no influence on society. And as there is no good deed which goes unpunished, so there is no free thought which does not receive a counter attack. In the press, freedom of speech is limited by artificial and economic constraints on the growth of sales, and in TV by direct supervision. " The situation is caused by the mentality of the mediocrities who exist in the upper echelons of government. They see no enemy more frightening then freedom of speech. Naturally, newspapers and television are filled with lies, slander, profanity, and flattery. In this corrupted state the need for free speech and thought fades away."

Mesrop Movsisyan, the president of the TV company A1+ , has come to the conclusion that nobody in Armenia cares about freedom of speech. " The current government confuses freedom of speech with loud lying. Lying has become a state norm and policy. If, even if, we had a free source of information, it would be the like a voice in the wilderness. Journalists are like slaves, they can't speak freely because then the stick will be waiting for them." He thinks Armenia 's media will only survive if there is no pressure on advertisers. "There is no healthy competition in the information field. Everyone should come back to their senses. In the last years, there has been growth in television and the print media. Some journalists have started to improve, but censorship by the editors destroys everything. We don't have professional editors, and as a result the field in not complete". Movsisyan believes that being a professional in the information field means being honest and well educated. "The role of TV is to increase the level of development of the society, and not to carry out orders or become someone's microphone. It can't get any worse than it is today."

Tigran Pakevichyan, who heads the film and program production department of Shoghakat TV, agrees that freedom of speech doesn't exist in Armenia. "There are two reasons for that. There is no proper legislative field and the society does not recognize the importance of this right," he explained. If the society appreciates this right more, then the journalists themselves will understand better the necessity of freedom of speech and will stop self-censorship." Paskevichyan says that in the current situation the law is necessary, but not sufficient. " The journalist today lacks education. Armenian universities do not provide a proper education. Journalists have gotten angry at me for this point-of-view, but I will continue to state that an uneducated journalist can turn freedom of speech into an evil." Paskevichyan believes that one of the conditions for the independence of the media is its financial independence. "With the current number of TV stations, there is no way they can be independent. In Armenia there should only be at most five TV channels. Obviously, there should be a state-owned channel, as well as a neutral channel and a TV station with an extreme outlook. Only in this case can the television be self-sufficient. Paskevichayn is confident that the Armenian press can be financially independent, but the question arises of becoming dependent on its audience, or its advertisers. " If today the audience demands Tigran Karapetyan's ALM , Shant's humor programs or Armenia ' s "Kargin Haghordum", then it means television is finished," he said.

Narine Mkrtchyan, president of the National Press Club, says that newspapers are freer and more independent than television. "It's a different problem that the press cannot fully implement the objectives it has, related to copyright issues, lack of an advertising market, and the purchasing power of its readers." The television media, she says, is fully controlled by the government. Like the majority Armenia 's media elite, Mkrtchyan thinks that Armenian journalists today lack professionalism. "They need a more serious approach to the issues. Journalism is a profession, which requires love and affection. If you're writing only for money, then that is visible to the reader. I don't think that well-paid journalists always write high quality material. Our standards are wrong."

Internews President Nouneh Sarkissian doesn't think there is no freedom of speech in Armenia , only that there is not enough. "You can't compare Armenia to Central Asian countries. We have freedom of speech, but everyone knows what can be spoken and what not. The self censorship in media affects the work of journalist." She connects this situation to the absence of a financial market, explaining that the small Armenian market cannot feed the many media organizations that exist today and they are forced to rely on certain circles that control the market. " This situation does not just exist in Armenia ; it is typical of CIS countries," she said. She describes the main reason for the existing situation as follows: " Do we really need freedom or not? Is there a demand for free journalists? Professionalism is when you can sell your skills and knowledge for a price that ensures your independence, and your life. Nouneh Sarkissian is confident that Armenian press can survive on its own financial resources, but that it requires serious efforts in terms of management. Our media lack experienced leaders.

World history shows that the media is simultaneously an industry, a utility, and a political institution. The majority of Armenian society does not think of the media as a business. Some of our readers think that it will take time for that to change. "Privately-owned media is a business, and it's hard to prove otherwise to the owner. Television, especially, is an industry, where you need both officers and soldiers," Sargsyan said.

"Business is work. Every person should do his own work. The media provide a service. A person pays 100 drams to find out what's going on in the world. The professionalism of the journalist is like that of an expert cook, he masterfully chooses the ingredients and serves them in such a way that they are both tasty and pleasant. The reader chooses the cook. In this area we are competitive," said Haykakan Zhamanak editor Nikol Pashinyan. Mesrop Maovsesyan of A1+ believes that journalism today is a business, one that today is connected to propaganda. "When this propaganda becomes a trade, it loses its value," he said. "We have lost our philosophy, without ever having had one."