“E-CLUB” CYCLE: INTERNET AND KARABAGH ISSUE RESOLUTION
On June 21 another program from “E-Club” weekly cycle went on the online broadcast of “A1+” TV company (www.a1plus.am). The “E-Club” is produced by Yerevan Press Club in cooperation with “A1+” TV company under “Alternative Resources in Media” project, supported by USAID.
The information and education blocs, particularly, told about the new possibilities for receiving pension through bank systems, introduced the website www.armcomedy.com and told about how to defend one’s right via Internet on the example of the Facebook group “I am not a donkey”. The guests of the discussion part of “E-Club” – Hayk Khanumian, Head of the “Artsakh European Movement” NGO, and Armen Grigorian, Head of “Democracy for Development” NGO, on the eve of the trilateral meeting in Kazan of Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, reviewed how the Karabagh issue, its resolution process and Mountainous Karabagh in whole are presented on the Web.
The next “E-Club” will be aired on “A1+” on June 28.
“YERKRAGUND” ON ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS
On June 21 the ninth show of “Yerkragund” (“Globe”) cycle went on the evening air of “Yerkir Media” TV company. The current show was produced by Yerevan Press Club with support of Open Society Foundations-Armenia.
The guests of the program host, YPC President Boris Navasardian, were Hakob Badalian, observer of Lragir.am online publication, Ruben Mehrabian, Expert at Armenian Center for Political and International Studies, Vahe Sargsian, Expert at “Mitk” Analytical Center, and Tamar Hakobian, correspondent of “Yerkir Media” TV company in Georgia. The guests considered the Armenian-Georgian relations in light of the recent visit of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II to Georgia.
The next “Yerkragund” show will be aired on “Yerkir Media” on Tuesday, June 28 at 19.15 (rerun – on Thursday, June 30 at 14.15).
BALANCING RESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
On June 18-19 in Aghveran the conference “Balancing Responsible Journalism and Freedom of Expression” was held. The event was organized by Yerevan Press Club in the frames of “Promoting Freedom, Professionalism and Pluralism of the Media in the South Caucasus and Moldova” programme, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the CoE. The conference was attended by lawyers, specialized in defamation cases, representatives of Armenian media, journalistic organizations and state bodies, CoE experts. Lejla Dervisagic, Project Advisor of CoE Directorate of Cooperation, Carel Hofstra, Deputy Head of OSCE Office in Yerevan, and YPC President Boris Navasardian delivered an opening speech.
The first of the three panel discussions of the conference regarded the challenges and advantages of the decriminalization of Armenian legislation on defamation and insult. These issues were considered by Hovhannes Sahakian, RA National Assembly Deputy, Boyko Boev, “Article 19” human rights organization, Ara Ghazarian, “Arni Consult” law firm. The problems of the protection of the rights to freedom of expression before domestic courts in defamation/insult cases and the insights into the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights were presented by Frederic Gras, advocate specialized in defamation issues, Vahe Grigorian, Chamber of Advocates of Armenia, and Gevorg Hayrapetian, Freedom of Information Center. Media self-regulation versus judicial protection in defamation/insult cases was debated at the third panel by Philippe Voets, Belgian Press Council, Petros Ghazarian, “Kentron” TV Company, and Levon Barseghian, “Asparez” Journalists Club of Gyumri.
On June 17, on the eve of the Aghveran event, a press conference was held in Yerevan. At the meeting the European Union and Council of Europe representatives introduced the journalists to the goals and the agenda of the abovementioned EU and CoE joint programme, “Promoting Freedom, Professionalism and Pluralism of the Media in the South Caucasus and Moldova”. The Programme aims to support the development of legal and institutional guarantees for freedom of expression, higher quality journalism and a pluralistic media landscape in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova, in line with Council of Europe standards and as regards both traditional and new media.
