The facilitator of the discussion, deputy-editor of 168-Hours newspaper, Armen Baghdasaryan, reminded the participants that there are a few disputable opinions about the role of media. Some people think that media doesn’t play a huge role and the prpoof of that is the low level of circulation of Armenian papers. Furthermore, online media also also reduce the role of print media. According to Baghdasaryan there is also an opposite opinion. One shouldn’t be confused about the fact that only few people read the daily circulated 5000 newspapers; at least 20000 people read those papers. And what’s more, each newspaper forms a specific public opinion in the society. Baghdasaryan also mentioned that the ones, who often devaluate the role of media encounter two questions – how does the media affect the formation of public opinion and how does the public opinion affect the formation of government? According to certain viewpoints, the role of mass media can’t be that significant taking into consideration the fact that public opinion doesn’t affect politics.
Before moving to the concrete objectives of the discussion, NA Deputy, RPA member, Armen Ashotyan made a few “accusations” against the media. According to him print media is full of jargon stylistics and that’s why nobody can express an opinion. “If I express an opinion, which is different from yours, it doesn’t give you the right to limit my freedom of speech”, said Ashotyan. He also complained about the low professionalism level of some journalists. “Today, even doctors can become journalists. I don’t think that any of you can work as a doctor. Then why would I be able to work as a journalist,” mentioned the deputy. Editor-in Chief of “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” newspaper, Shogher Matevosyan (on the day of the discussion the newspaper wrote about Ashotyan, the article entitled, “Stories of Mozambique”), mentioned that the same illiteracy exists among doctors as well. “I agree. But no journalist has ever written about the ignorance of their colleagues,” answered the deputy. After his accusations Ashotyan noted that nevertheless, the media has an influence on formation of public opinion.
As a response to the deputy’s remark on the jargon language of print media, Baghdasaryan mentioned that “compared to National Assembly sessions, the media language is extremely polite”. The economic analyst of the 168-Hours newspaper, Ara Galoyan agreed with his colleague. “It is accepted that the most literate journalists are in print media. Newspapers are read only by the socially secure strata. That’s why these strata make the print media be literate Today our print media’s activity is qualified Although sometimes we have to write about statesmen and mention their nicknames so that the readers can recognize them”, said Galoyan. He also thinks that the media cannot form a public opinion.
What do the editors-in-chief think about the role of media in the formation of public opinion? The editor-in-chief of “Aravot” daily, Aram Abrahamyan, mentioned that “Aravot” doesn’t have a goal to form public opinion. Their goal is to provide readers with urgent information. However, Baghdasaryan noted that it’s possible to form public opinion only through media. “For example, according to statistics, about 13% of traffic accidents take place because of drunk drivers. The same information can be written down this way – 87% of drivers, who got into accidents were sober. If your first objective was to provide information, then the TV companies do it a day earlier than the newspapers,” said Baghdasaryan. He said that unlike TV companies, they provide news trying to separate the comments from the information. In the event of arguable issues they make sure that both are included. Unlike the edit-in-chief of “Aravot” daily, Shogher Matevosyan has an objective for forming public opinion and thinks that she succeeds in it. According to the editor-in-chief of 168-Hours newspaper, Satik Seyranyan, 168-Hours didn’t have an objective like that from the day of its foundation, however, “every type of media forms public opinion, whether we like it or not.” “By noticing the lack of information on social issues among other print media sources, we tried to add it. We succeeded. The evidence of that is the high circulation rate of 168-Hours newspaper. By the way many citizens and private companies very often respond to the social articles of the newspapers. Although I think that media in general form public opinion, the problem is inside us. We are not able to fully reflect on the issues concerning the society. That’s the reason why the society doesn’t see itself reflecting in the media,” said Seyranyan. Political analyst of “Aravot” daily, Anna Israyelyan, ascertained that there was a time, when their newspaper tried to speak more about social topics but the number of the readers reduced because of that. “No matter what you say, all the 5000 readers of our newspaper are people interested in politics,” said Israyelyan.
The director of “Fotolur” agency, Herbert Baghdasaryan thinks that the media is a means of formation and expression of public opinion. By remembering the 100 thousand circulations of media during the Soviet era, H. Baghdasaryan noticed that today the media cannot possible play the same role with its 5000 daily circulation as the papers during the Soviet times. He also mentioned the importance of financially independent media. “If there is no free economic market, independence strengthened through advertisement then there is a hazard that the Armenian media will find itself in the hands of someone giving out orders,” – said NA Deputy, Shavarsh Kocharyan and added that in democratic countries the media is business and completely fulfills its role. The Deputy thinks that regardless of its will, the media affects public opinion. “The media should form a public opinion. If the country is on the path towards becoming a legal state, the media must play an essential role in that. It’s not by chance that the democratic countries pay so much attention to persecution against media. For a country like Armenia, the media has an extra privilege, which is characteristic to strengthened countries. And it is in fact the formation of public opinion. The media should take on the role of forming civil society,” said Kocharyan. He noted that sometimes the media reveals things that no one else does. The Deputy confessed that he learns a lot from print media. And even in cases when newspapers are trying to degrade Shavarsh Kocharyan he feels protected due to media. “But the media very often raises scandalous issues, which are most often connected with persons. That is also necessary. They should mention those points, which are worth being changed, so that the society gets more focused on negative elements,” mentioned Kocharyan and added that Armenia has a longing for the time when newspapers had an exact civil orientation. Ashotyan mentioned that very often the media is trying to make the opinion of a number of people mandatory and turn that into public opinion. Kocharyan mentioned that when speaking of newspapers-social ties one shouldn’t forget the great respect that people showed to newspapers during Soviet times. According to the deputy, people think that what’s written in the newspapers is purely true. Some of the participants didn’t agree with Kocharyan saying that, very often the state bodies or statesmen refuse to provide information, the newspapers base their information without mentioning the source.
The director of the Armenian branch of the “Institute of Peace and War Elucidation”, Seda Muradyan, brought the Polish media as an example. The European investments enabled the Polish media get rid of the impact of the parties and individuals. She also mentioned that unfortunately no one is going help Armenia just like they helped Poland. “Thank God that no one is going to help,” said Ashotyan. Muradyan substantiated her speech by saying that the European investments would be a great financial resource. “Although fortunately the print media, unlike TV companies, is more independent (that means more opinions), however their problem is low circulation. If today the “Aravot”, 168-Hours and “Haykakan Zhamanak” newspapers printed 60000 copies a day I am sure the government would do its best to block those papers,” thinks Muradyan. Ashotyan answered that he’d prefer to be interviewed by “Aravot” daily then any TV company.
The director of “P-Art” company, Karen Kocharyan, is sure that newspapers are forming public opinion as opposed to TV companies, the news agencies of which mainly prepare materials on protocols, official announcements. Journalist Artur Shakayan thinks that public opinion in Armenia is formed by a few people (2-3 thousand people). “The point is how much influence the news agency has on those people,” said Shakayan. Contemporary painter, artist, Arman Grigoryan is of the opinion that formulation of “whether the media affects public opinion” doesn’t make sense. He also added that the public opinion formed by media is not dangerous at all.
Ashotyan, who was the only government representative during the discussion, immediately responded to Karen Kocharyan’s statement – “media is a particle of the society”. “In that case when the feet of both the villager and the journalist are trampled why don’t the media similarly respond?” asked the RPA deputy. The Director of “P-Art” company said that everybody – businessmen, politicians and others-should actively complain about things, which are directly connected to them then the villager. “Therefore we deserve each other,” said Ashotyan. “Yes in fact if the statesman has a nickname or swears in public, the newspaper cannot help publishing it. As we Armenians say, the fish rots from the head,” said K. Kocharyan. As a doctor Ashotyan informed everyone that in fact, the fish rots not from the head but from the guts.
Ashotyan also said: “All the analyses show that in democratic countries, including Armenia, the society has pretty much the same trust towards media as it has towards the government. Don’t ascribe to yourself more than you have. There is no sacredness in media. There is no free media in any country. There is only an opportunity for the activity of free media. But those are different things.” Shogher Matevosyan, who during the discussion was periodically showing her disagreement about the opinion of the two deputies, finally agreed with Ashotyan when the latter finally said, “Our media doesn’t have more influence than the deputies.”
Speaking of the freedom of newspapers, Shavarsh Kocharyan said there is no need to complain about freedom and the number of parties. He thinks that the elections and the readers should determine the future of the parties and the newspapers.
Although, due to opposing opinions, the discussion proceeded in a tense environment, however hardly anyone would disagree that media forms public opinion. If the reader forms an opinion after reading this article, then that means that media has played its role.