Armenian Media
Media Research
PRINT MASS MEDIA AND NEWS AGENCIES’ MARKET
Yerevan Press Club
Ashot Melikyan
From the History
Media found itself in the totally new conditions in the beginning of 90s, after independence obtained by Armenia. Collapse of the totalitarian Soviet system, disposition of authorities to democratic reforms and establishment of the civil society, censorship abolition and declaration of the freedom of speech have created favorable conditions for significant increase of media number and expression of different opinions, positions and ideas. All the arising political parties and public movements, influential business-structures, legal and even natural persons have founded media hoping to find a niche for themselves in the unexplored information field.
The increase of print media was especially intensive-there was about 500 registered entities to the mid-90s. But that time newspaper and magazine founders considered their media mainly not as a business, but first of all as a means to reach their political goals or the way of self assertion, free expression of the ideas, which were not for propagation in the soviet times. It is not surprising though, that this kind of publications, as a rule, were either interrupting their activities or disappearing after short existence.
Anyway, local experts call 1990-1992 the “golden era” of Armenian journalism. First of all it was preconditioned by the tolerance of democratic forces that had come to power, towards media activities in the new conditions. Traditional Armenian parties have founded their newspapers in the homeland again after return from emigration (“Azg”, “Erik”) which have not only enriched palette of the national periodical press, but also have taken leading role here. From the commercial point of view the low prime cost of the printed production and prices for newspapers and magazines, accessible for the main part of the population contributed to blooming of the information-publishing business. All these factors contributed significantly to gaining rather high level of freedom by media.
Along with that revolutionary changes have taken place in the technology of newspaper publishing business within that period: editorial offices turned to computer (electronic) way of composition and page-make-up of their publications, which simplified process of print media production a lot, and created new perspectives for them. Factually, in the course of few years all the national and some regional newspapers either have purchased their own computer equipment or started to rent it in order to use progressive technologies.
The formation of independent information agencies (“SNARK”, “Noyan Tapan”), whose production favorably differed from the one provided by the state “Armenpress” falls on the beginning of 90s.
However, to the end of 1992 mass media, and print media first of all, started to give up its positions step by step. The reasons were both objective and subjective. The main objective reason was blockade of communications leading to Armenia in connection with Karabagh conflict, which also brought to energy and general economic crisis. As a result of paper deficiency in the country and sharp increase of the typographical services’ costs newspapers and magazines went up in prices significantly.
At the same time because of chronic shortage of petrol, other economic and organizational problems “Armprint” agency that was a monopolist in the sphere of periodicals’ circulation stopped delivering newspapers and magazines to subscribers, which were deceived. Thus, subscription institution ceased its existence. All these negative factors, together with global crisis born population impoverishment, preponderance of which stopped buying newspapers diminished print media market. It is enough saying that by mid-90s combined circulation of Armenia periodical media decreased more than 11 times. Newspapers and magazines became unprofitable and some of them closed down.
Alongside with that it gradually became obvious that ruling elite is not interested in the formation of independent media and freedom of speech. The more authority of Armenian National Movement strengthened the more it deviated from democratic principles, which had to become a basis for new state including information sphere. The official organ of ANM “Hayk” newspaper considered as a tribune for freedom of speech in the period of Karabagh war transformed to a megaphone of ruling circles. The same has happened to state newspapers “Hayastani Hanrapetutyun” and “Respublika Armenia” initially founded as alternative to still existing soviet-party periodicals.
These negative tendencies were to certain extend neutralized by existence of various opposition media representing different parties and movements. Very unfavorable conditions for formation and development of the independent mass media set up in the country caused situation when media in majority of cases could only survive due to sponsorship of the political leaders. The latter, of course, where once “ordering music”: each of them his own. This biliousness and division of the media on political camps resulted in atmosphere of mutual intolerance. Attacks on journalists and editorial offices became often, editorial offices supporting oppositions were put under economic and political pressure.
Persecutions of the opposition mass media by the state reached their peak in the end of 1994 beginning of 1995: Armenia Revolutionary Federation “Dashnaktsoutuin” was withdrawn from the political scene and editorial offices of 13 periodicals connected with this party directly or indirectly were destroyed and closed down. These means applied became kind of warning for other opposition forces and media sponsored by them. After these events media serving to the interests of ruling elite were totally dominating the sphere. This situation persisted till the authority crisis of 1996-1998 and pre-term presidential elections.
Indications of professional solidarity and fearful optimism regarding possible improvement of the climate for independent media development came to existence in the journalist circles that period. But the following years brought disappointment and demonstrated how illusory those expectations were.
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