On October 28th, CRRC Regional Director Dr. Hans Gutbrod presented findings of research on media conducted as part of a larger project on media coverage in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Among the attendees were the representatives of IREX, AED, OXFAM, OSCE, British Council, IFES and the Embassies of Poland and Romania in Armenia.
According to the report, Yerevanis believe that all of the main television stations are controlled by the government, copy news directly and deceitfully manipulate stories. Meanwhile, Bakuvians believe that the media environment is polarized between opposition and government channels, which generally avoid news coverage and focus on non-controversial topics such as sports or beauty.
The presentation was followed by an active discussion around the main findings and the recommendations that the research sets forth to the government, journalists and the donor community. The recommendations include embracing web journalism, blogging and creating interactive websites, promoting a bottom-up approach to journalist ethics, as well as developing a research based culture among media supporters and providers.
Similar presentations are planned for local journalists and the representatives of mass media in both countries later this year.
Similar presentations are planned for local journalists and the representatives of mass media in both countries later this year.
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