An interview with Harutyun Harutyunyan, Director of Armenian Public TV’s “Haylur” News Service
At a cabinet session held on April 25th, ROA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan announced that the government would be modifying its working principles regarding the mass media outlets. The PM declared, “In order that we have responsible press resources we first and foremost must have responsible government authorities.” The government has assumed the responsibility of examining all publications that have a social content.
Some twenty years ago the White Water reservoir, built along the Aghstev River at the southern entrance to the town of Ijevan, was put into operation. Local poets and news reporters soon began to describe the artificial lake as the beauty of the Aghstev valley.
During the twenty-day period after March 1st, when the media outlets in Armenia were only permitted to publish officially sanctioned news, it was the Internet that became the alternate source for the dissemination of news and opinion.
The imposition of restrictions on the freedom of speech included in the State of Emergency declaration wasn’t so much an objective necessity on the part of the regime as it stemmed from their desire to stamp out dissident and opposition-based approaches and ideals.
This current session of the “Hetq” Round Table deals with the problems facing the media today in Armenia, the sources of these problems and possible solutions. Participating in the debate are Aram Abrahamyan, Chief Editor of Aravot daily; Ara Shirinyan, Director; Tatul Hakobyan, correspoondent for The Armenian Reporter weekly and Edik Baghdasaryan, Chied Editor of “Hetq”.
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