From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Fri Apr 18 2003 - 09:22:38 EDT
YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
APRIL 12-18, 2003
HIGHLIGHTS:
COVERAGE OF INTERNATIONAL CRISIS IN THE MEDIA OF ARMENIA, GERMANY AND
BULGARIA
SATELLITE PRESS CONFERENCE YEREVAN-BAKU: THE MILLI MECLIS DEPUTY
ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS OF ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS
MEDIA AND ELECTIONS: IMPACT ON THE CHOICE OF THE SOCIETY
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS-2003: RULES FOR MEDIA
COVERAGE OF INTERNATIONAL CRISIS IN THE MEDIA OF ARMENIA, GERMANY AND
BULGARIA
On April 18 in Yerevan a seminar "The Role of Mass Media in the Process
of Covering International Crisis", organized by Yerevan Press Club and
Friedrich Naumann Foundation, was held. Journalists, politicians and
scientists from Armenia, Germany and Bulgaria discussed the experience
the media of the three countries have in the coverage of international
crisis. The main emphasis at the meeting was placed on the Iraq war.
The Parliamentary Advisor of the Free Democratic Party Parliamentary
Group of German Bundestag Michael Link in his presentation noted that
presently the German media do not display true diversity when covering
international news, unlike the domestic affairs. Moreover, they often
become a tool in the armed conflicts. For example, Michael Link noted,
the viewers had to watch a great number of different TV channels,
including the international ones, to gain a more or less comprehensive
picture of the Iraq war. In the opinion of former member of Bulgarian
delegation in PACE, currently the Consultant of Friedrich Naumann
Foundation Asparuh Panov, the weakest spot of the Bulgarian journalism
is the foreign news. However, the Iraq crisis helped the Bulgarian media
to get out of the adolescence and be at a high professional level: the
press was abundant in different opinions and positions. The view at the
international crises from Erevan was presented by the Observer of "Golos
Armenii" newspaper Aris Ghazinian and the Director of Armenian Center of
Political and International Studies Aghassi Yenokian. Both presenters
noted that the Armenian press was unable to convey a complete picture of
the Iraq war and its possible impact on the country and region. One of
the reasons for that was the internal political context (presidential
elections) the conflict coincided with. None of the platforms of the RA
presidency candidates contained distinct foreign policy priorities.
Therefore, the international news issues were neglected by Armenian
media.
SATELLITE PRESS CONFERENCE YEREVAN-BAKU: THE MILLI MECLIS DEPUTY
ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS OF ARMENIAN JOURNALISTS
On April 17 a satellite press-conference Yerevan-Baku was held under the
project of Yerevan and Baku Press Clubs "Possible Resolutions to the
Karabagh Conflict: Expert Evaluations and Media Coverage", supported by
OSI Network Media Program. Technical assistance in its conductance was
provided by "Mir" Interstate TV and Radio Company. This the fifth space
bridge giving floor for Armenia and Azerbaijani politicians to answer
the questions of journalists of the neighboring country. The first
similar meeting took place in December last year (see details in YPC
Weekly Newsletter, December 7-13, 2002).
This time the Baku studio hosted a Milli Meclis deputy, a member of
Azerbaijani delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe Asim Mollazadeh. The questions of the Armenian media present in
the Yerevan studio mostly referred to the attitudes of the South
Caucasus countries to the Iraq war, the honoring of commitments of the
Council of Europe by Armenia and Azerbaijan, in particular, those on the
peaceful resolution of the Karabagh problem, the presidential elections,
over in Armenia and upcoming in Azerbaijan.
MEDIA AND ELECTIONS: IMPACT ON THE CHOICE OF THE SOCIETY
On April 12-13 in Tsaghkadzor a seminar "Media and Elections: Impact on
the Choice of the Society", organized by the RA Ministry of Foreign
Affairs with the support of the Council of Europe, was held. The seminar
brought together representatives of media, non-governmental
organizations, state structures of Armenia as well as European experts.
The subjects discussed included both the international experience in
election campaign coverage, as well as the activities of Armenia media
during the presidential election of 2003, their role in shaping the
public opinion. In particular, the report of the President of Yerevan
Press Club Boris Navasardian was devoted to the YPC monitoring of the
media coverage of the elections of the RA President, while the YPC
Expert Mesrop Harutyunyan analyzed the legal regulation of media during
the past election campaign.
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS-2003: RULES FOR MEDIA
On April 21 the official election campaign of candidates for seats at
the RA National Assembly to last up to May 23 (the elections themselves
are scheduled for May 25, 2003). Similarly to the campaign for RA
presidency, the legislation compels the private and public broadcasters
as well as the official press to provide equal conditions to the
candidates running for seats at the RA NA by proportion and majority
systems. Equal space with an identical tariff to each party/bloc or a
majority candidate must be allocated by all the print editions, except
the partisan press.
Meanwhile, the Procedure for pre-election promotion in the media by the
candidates for NA seats, developed by the Central Electoral Commission,
still contain the provisions that caused the discontent of the
journalistic community during the presidential elections. In particular,
the parties/party blocs cannot provide to other parties/party blocs the
free and paid airtime allocated not only by the public but also the
private broadcasters. And the newspapers, regardless their status, must
announce the promotional piece of a party/bloc on the first page.
According to the resolution of the CEC, the free and paid airtime for
pre-election promotion at the Public Television of Armenia is provided
every evening from 18.00 till 20.30. At the same time the promotional
materials are broadcast by the PTA satellite. At the Public Radio of
Armenia the free airtime is allocated every day from 14.05 to 16.00, and
the paid airtime - from 21.40 to 24.00. Each party/party bloc
registered by proportional ballot lists is entitled to 60 minutes of
free and 120 paid airtime of the Public TV. The quote of the free air
time makes 120 minutes at the Public Radio, the paid air time being 180
minutes. The succession for the air time use by the parties/party blocs
is determined by schedules made up after sortition.
According to the Chairman of the Council of the Public TV and Radio
Company Alexan Harutiunian, the minute of paid political advertising on
Public TV will be priced the same as during the presidential elections -
$120. The cost of the Public Radio air will probably be less than $30 -
the price applied during the previous election campaign.
The CEC resolution prohibits the journalists and the employees of the
public service broadcasting, registered as candidates, from engaging in
pre-election promotion. The NA candidates also do not have a right to
host authorship or other programs on the air of public and private TV
and radio companies.
The activities of the state-owned press are also regulated during the
pre-election campaign: "Hayastani Hanrapetutiun" and "Respublika
Armenia" newspapers must allocate each party/bloc a space of 0.25 quire
for free publication of promotional materials.
When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.
You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter
to: pressclub@ypc.am
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Editor of YPC Newsletter - Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
39/12 Mesrop Mashtots Avenue
375009, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 3741) 53 00 67; 53 35 41
Fax: (+3741) 53 56 61; 53 76 62
E-mail: pressclub@ypc.am
Web Site: www.ypc.am
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