On March 21-22 a seminar on “Issue-based Reporting by the Armenian Media during
the Elections of Local Self-Government” was held in Aghveran. The event was
organized by Yerevan Press Club under the project on “Improving the Media Coverage
of Local Self-Government Elections in Armenia” supported by the British Embassy
Yerevan. The seminar was opened by British Embassy Communication Manager Maria
Sadoyan and YPC President Boris Navasardian.
Vice-Chairman of “Democracy” NGO Hrair Tovmasian introduced to the seminar
participants the legislation on the elections of local self-government in the
framework of the amended status of Yerevan city and the upcoming elections of
the Yerevan Council of Elderly on May 31.
The Editor of YPC Weekly Newsletter Elina Poghosbekian presented the results
of the monitoring the issue-based reporting by 11 Armenian TV channels during
the elections of self-government in the context of studying the information
demand by the audience. Soon, this research (in Armenian, English and Russian)
will be placed on YPC web site www.ypc.am in the “Studies” section. It will
also be published as a brochure.
The report of YPC President Boris Navasardian was dealing with the trends of
the media coverage of the local elections. The Expert of the Committee to Protect
Freedom of Expression Mesrop Harutiunian centered on the role of the media self-regulation
during the local election campaigns.
Aram Abrahamian, Chief Editor of “Aravot” daily, and Gegham Manoukian, Director
of News and Current Affairs Programs of “Yerkir Media” TV company, reflected
on particularities of media coverage of the local elections drawing from the
experience of the media which they head.
“The Issue-Based Reporting during Presidential and Local Self-Government Elections
in Armenia in 2008” brochure was presented at the seminar. The book was published
by YPC under a project, supported by Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The edition
tells about the monitoring results of seven Armenian print media, administered
by YPC in the period of presidential and local self-government elections (respectively,
on January-February and September, 2008). The research (in Armenian, English
and Russian) can be found on YPC web site www.ypc.am in the “Studies” section.
