Recently the international organization "Reporters Without Borders" (RSF) published the Worldwide press freedom index. This initiative is conducted by RSF for the first time and is based on the events related to freedom of press during the period from September 2001 till October 2002. The indexes of 139 countries are listed, of which only nine are former Soviet republics. Of the three South Caucasus countries only Azerbaijan is presented.
In the methodology of compiling the index "Reporters Without Borders" explain that it was drawn up by a survey of people "with a real knowledge of press freedom situation in one or more countries", namely: the local journalists, the foreign correspondents residing in the country, researchers, legal experts, specialists on the region and the researchers of "Reporters Without Borders" International Secretariat. The respondents were asked to answer 50 questions, covering various forms of press freedom violations (murders, imprisonment of journalists, censorship, pressure, state monopoly in some areas, press sanctions, media regulation, etc.) The countries included in the list, as RSF clarify, are "those about which ‘Reporters Without Borders’ received completed questionnaires from several independent sources". The absence of other countries is explained by "lack of reliable information".
We cannot speak for other countries, but "Reporters Without Borders" have a correspondent in Armenia, maximally verified information on events in the media environment of the country is regularly sent to this organizations from Yerevan Press Club. It is quite probable that RSF also receives (or has the opportunity to receive) information on the situation of freedom of expression and press in Armenia from both local and foreign media organizations. Thus, the Center of Journalism in Extreme Situation of the Union of Journalists of Russia makes a daily electronic mailing of communications (unedited) from various sources with news from CIS countries, including Armenia. We also have enough media experts, lawyers and specialists, "with a real knowledge" about the sphere of interest to RSF.
If in case of Armenia "Reporters Without Borders" lack "reliable information", how come the organization occasionally makes protests on the violations of freedom of expression and media in Armenia? For instance, on April 2, 2002 the Secretary General of RSF Robert Menard in his letter addressed to RA President Robert Kocharian qualified the deprivation of “A1+” TV company of a broadcast license as ”the most serious violation of pluralism in Armenia in the past few years”. If the head of RSF made this conclusion, it means the organization tracks the situation in Armenia regularly. It also means RSF has "several independent sources", providing "reliable information" on Armenia. Then why were these sources not involved in the survey? The approach seems rather odd…
