“Preparation of ‘Media in South Caucasus’ Book” – December 21-23, 2002, Yerevan, Armenia, the second Working Meeting, organized by International Association of Journalists “South Caucasus” in partnership with Yerevan Press Club, with the support of OSCE Office in Yerevan and financial assistance of the Government of Federative Republic of Germany. Participants (40 in number) represented the media, journalistic associations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Abkhazia, Mountainous Karabagh, missions of international organizations and foreign countries in Armenia. Main issues discussed: media legislation and the rights of journalists in Armenia; electronic media market in Georgia; new media in Azerbaijan; professional education for journalists in Georgia; media in unrecognized republics: the example of Mountainous Karabagh; the role of media in regional integration and conflict resolution.
“Media Self-Regulation and Effective Management” – October 25-27, 2002, Tsaghkadzor, Armenia, Conference, organized by Yerevan Press Club, the European Institute for the Media and IREX/ProMedia. The participants (50 in number) included the leaders of national and regional media, representatives of journalistic associations of Armenia, international organizations, experts from France, Ireland, Russia. Main issues discussed: media ethics and accountability; legal problems affecting print journalism in Armenia; self-regulation of press in Europe; the role of NGOs in the self-regulation of media; how to develop an effective press self-regulatory body in Armenia.
“Coverage of Relations between Armenia and Turkey by the Media of the Two Countries” – October 20, 2002, Yerevan, Armenia, the fourth Round Table meeting, organized by Yerevan Press Club, the Association of Diplomacy Correspondents of Turkey and the Center for Global Peace of American University (Washington, D.C.) under the joint program “Mutual Visits of Armenian and Turkish Journalists”. The participant (20 in number) represented media, journalistic associations of Armenia and Turkey, the Center for Global Peace. Main issues discussed: possibilities for overcoming the controversies between Armenia and Turkey; the coverage of election campaigns by Armenian and Turkish media, the impact of media on the social and political life of the society, the relations between Armenia and Turkey; the differences and similarities of the press of Armenia and Turkey with regard to regional issue coverage.
“Preparation of ‘Media in South Caucasus’ Book” – October 1-2, 2002, Yerevan, Armenia, the first Working Meeting, organized by International Association of Journalists “South Caucasus” in partnership with Yerevan Press Club, with the support of OSCE Office in Yerevan and financial assistance of the Government of Federative Republic of Germany. Participants (20 in number) represented the media, journalistic associations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Mountainous Karabagh, missions of international organizations and foreign countries in Armenia. Main issues discussed: content, structure and methodology of “Media in South Caucasus” book.
“Armenia-Azerbaijan-Turkey: Journalist Initiative-2002” – September 21-23, 2002, Kusadasi, Turkey, the third, final Round Table meeting, organized by Yerevan Press Club, “Yeni Nesil” Journalists Union of Azerbaijan and the Association of Diplomacy Correspondents of Turkey with the assistance of Turkish Democracy Foundation under the trilateral project “Armenia-Azerbaijan-Turkey: Journalist Initiative-2002”, implemented by YPC, “Yeni Nesil” and the Association of Diplomacy Correspondents, and supported by the OSI Network Media Program. Participants (21 in number) included representatives of media, journalistic associations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, OSI Network Media Program. Main issues discussed: results of monitoring of the coverage of Armenian-Azerbaijan-Turkish relations by the Azerbaijan and Turkish media, the coverage of the issue of Turkey’s accession to the European Union by Armenian media; the Karabagh conflict in the Turkish media; ways for the future partnership.
“Finalization of the Results of Media Monitoring and Sociological Research on the Mountainous Karabagh Issue” – September 13-17, 2002, Gudauri, Georgia, the second working Meeting, organized under the bilateral project of “Armenian-Azerbaijani/Azerbaijani-Armenian Information Center”, implemented by Yerevan and Baku Press Clubs and supported by OSI Network Media Program. The participants (15 in number) represented Yerevan, Baku and Stepanakert Press Clubs, journalists and sociologists. Main issues discussed: the reports on the focus group research conducted to determine the opinions of various categories of population of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Mountainous Karabagh on the MK problem; the reports on the results of monitoring the Karabagh issue coverage by the media of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Mountainous Karabagh. The findings of this research are to be published as a separate brochure in the English and Russian languages.
“Coverage of Relations between Armenia and Turkey by the Media of the Two Countries” – July 27-28, 2002, Ankara, Turkey, the third Round Table meeting, organized by Yerevan Press Club, Association of Diplomacy Correspondents of Turkey and Center for Global Peace of American University (Washington, D.C.) under the joint program of “Mutual Visits of Armenian and Turkish Journalists”. The participants (40 in number) represented media, journalistic associations of Armenia and Turkey, European Center for Common Ground (Brussels). Main issues discussed: Armenian-Turkish relations, problems impeding the development of a dialogue between two countries, proceeding from the example of rapprochement between Greece and Turkey; the role of media in these processes.
“NATO and Democratic Civil Control of the Armed Forces” – June 26-27, 2002, Yerevan, Armenia, Seminar, organized by Yerevan Press Club and NATO with the co-funding of Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation-Armenia and in cooperation with Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF). The participants (56 in number) included representatives of media, NGOs and state structures of Armenia, experts from NATO and DCAF. Main issues discussed: the role of armed forces in the context of new threats to security in the modern world; democratic control of armed forces; democratic control of non-military armed forces; transforming armed forces in transition countries, including Armenia; NATO and the media; reporting on security issues in South Caucasus; civil society and the role of the media in democracy.
“Practices of Applying Broadcast Legislation in Armenia” – June 22-23, 2002, Yerevan, Armenia, Conference, organized by Yerevan Press Club, the Council of Europe and the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the assistance of OSCE Office in Yerevan and Internews Armenia. The participants (80 in number) included the heads of broadcast media, journalists, representatives of state structures of Armenia and international organizations, broadcast law experts from Armenia, Council of Europe, the United Kingdom, Hungary. Main issues discussed: the compliance of the RA broadcast legislation to the European standards; contents requirements to the TV and radio programs; frequency assignment principles.
“Armenia-Azerbaijan-Turkey: Journalist Initiative-2002” – June 15-17, 2002, Ankara, Turkey, the second Round Table meeting, organized by Yerevan Press Club, “Yeni Nesil” Journalists Union of Azerbaijan and the Association of Diplomacy Correspondents of Turkey with the assistance of Turkish Democracy Foundation under the trilateral project “Armenia-Azerbaijan-Turkey: Journalist Initiative-2002”, implemented by YPC, “Yeni Nesil” and the Association of Diplomacy Correspondents, and supported by the OSI Network Media Program. The participants (over 30 in number) included representatives of media, journalistic associations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, public and political circles of Turkey. Main issues discussed: coverage of the development prospects of Azerbaijani-Turkish relations by Armenian media; coverage of the development prospects of the Armenian-Turkish relations by Azerbaijani media; the coverage of the development prospects of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations by Turkish media. Summing up the meeting, the representatives of Yerevan Press Club, “Yeni Nesil” Journalists Union of Azerbaijan, the Association of Diplomacy Correspondents of Turkey and the Turkish Democracy Foundation signed a Press Memorandum.
“Media and Politics in Germany” – May 27, 2002, Yerevan, Armenia, Seminar, organized by Friedrich Naumann Foundation in cooperation with Yerevan Press Club. The participants (38 in number) represented media, journalistic associations of Armenia, experts from Germany. Main issues discussed: media self-regulation as a basis for freedom of information in Germany; the role of media in the election campaigns in Germany; the media and the Parliament in Berlin.
“The Role of NGOs and Media of Armenia in the Settlement of Regional Problems” – May 11-12, 2002, Tsaghkadzor, Armenia, Seminar, organized by Yerevan Press Club with the assistance of Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The participants (40 in number) represented Armenian media, journalistic associations, NGOs, as well as international organizations active in Armenia. Main issues discussed: the transformations in South Caucasus during the past decade; the political negotiations and the contacts of civil structures in the region; the perceptions of the society about the relations between Armenia and its neighbor countries; the coverage of the regional problems in the media of South Caucasus; the programs of regional cooperation and overcoming the existing problems; the cooperation of media and NGOs in South Caucasus.
“Coverage of Relations between Armenia and Turkey by the Media of the Two Countries” – May 4, 6, 2002, Istanbul, Turkey, the second Round Table meeting, organized by Yerevan Press Club, Association of Diplomacy Correspondents of Turkey and Center for Global Peace of American University (Washington, D.C.) under the joint program of “Mutual Visits of Armenian and Turkish Journalists”. The participants (40 in number) represented media, journalistic associations of Armenia and Turkey. Main issues discussed: the nature and content of publications in the media of Armenia and Turkey on the bilateral relations; the relations between Armenia and Turkey, the prospects of their development in various spheres.
“Professional Ethics of Journalists and Media Self-Regulation” – April 11, 2002, Yerevan, Armenia, Round Table meeting, organized by Yerevan Press Club, the International Federation of Journalists and the Journalists Union of Armenia. The participants (40 in number) included representatives of media, journalistic associations of Armenia, an expert from Ireland. Main issues discussed: the international practice of media self-regulation; the codes of professional behavior of the Armenian journalistic association; the need for the development of ethical norms for the modern Armenian media and the establishment of a general self-regulation body; the freedom of speech – the rights and responsibilities of the fourth estate.
“Methodology for Media Monitoring and Sociological Research on the Mountainous Karabagh Issue” – March 31 – April 3, 2002, Gudauri, Georgia, the first working Meeting, organized under the bilateral project of “Armenian-Azerbaijani/Azerbaijani-Armenian Information Center”, implemented by Yerevan and Baku Press Clubs and supported by OSI Network Media Program. The participants (11 in number) represented Yerevan, Baku and Stepanakert Press Clubs. Main issues discussed: the progress of monitoring of the Karabagh issue coverage by the media of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Mountainous Karabagh; the clarification of details on the conductance of sociological research in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Mountainous Karabagh to determine the opinion of various society sectors on the MK problem.
“Armenia-Azerbaijan-Turkey: Journalist Initiative-2002“ – March 9-10, 2002, Cappadocia, Urgup, Turkey, the first Round Table meeting, organized by Yerevan Press Club, “Yeni Nesil” Journalists Union of Azerbaijan and Association of Diplomacy Correspondents of Turkey with the assistance of Turkish Democracy Foundation under the trilateral project “Armenia-Azerbaijan-Turkey: Journalist Initiative-2002”, implemented by YPC, “Yeni Nesil” and the Association of Diplomacy Correspondents, and supported by the OSI Network Media Program. The participants (over 30 in number) included representatives of media, journalistic associations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Turkish politicians, diplomats, economists. Main issues discussed: the coverage of the situation after the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, in the USA by the media of the three countries in the context of regional problems; the prospects of economic and political co-operation in the region; the relations of Europe and Turkey. On March 11 in Ankara the Round Table participants met with the ninth President of Turkey Suleyman Demirel. At the meeting the representatives of Yerevan Press Club, “Yeni Nesil” Journalists Union of Azerbaijan, the Association of Diplomacy Correspondents of Turkey and the Turkish Democracy Foundation signed a statement on future co-operation plans.
“Independent Media and Conflict Resolution in the South Caucasus” – March 4, 2002, Yerevan, Armenia, Seminar, organized by Friedrich Naumann Foundation in cooperation with Yerevan Press Club. The participants (30 in number) represented media, journalistic associations of Armenia, experts from Germany. Main issues discussed: the projects of Friedrich Naumann Foundation in South Caucasus; the Armenian media and their role in the domestic politics; the media legal regulation; the YPC activities, the projects aimed at regional cooperation.
“Coverage of Relations between Armenia and Turkey by the Media of the Two Countries” – January 14, 2002, Yerevan, Armenia, the first Round Table meeting, organized by Yerevan Press Club, Association of Diplomacy Correspondents of Turkey and Center for Global Peace of American University (Washington, DC) under the joint program of “Mutual Visits of Armenian and Turkish Journalists”. The participants (40 in number) represented media, journalistic associations of Armenia and Turkey, RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, international and diplomatic missions operating in Armenia. Main issues discussed: the nature and the content of publications on bilateral relations in the media of Armenia and Turkey, urgent regional problems.
