Levon Barsegyan: Armenian authorities exert less pressure on media

Armenia has exhibited some progress in the freedom of mass media, however, "in special cases" the authorities can strengthen their pressure on journalists; such pressure is the strongest on media of Yerevan, as Levon Barsegyan, President of the Journalists' Press Club "Asparez", has noted.

Mr Barsegyan has shared his vision of today's situation in Armenian media and internal political processes in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

In his opinion, a slight slackening of the pressure on mass media is a result of reaching by the authorities of Armenia of their primary goal - they have ensured their self-reproduction in the media space.

Thus, according to Levon Barsegyan, absolutely all the TV Companies in Yerevan work under self-censorship, that is, they know precisely what can be put on air and what cannot. Nevertheless, during large and especially important actions, such as opposition's rallies in Yerevan or the trial on the "Case of Seven", even such TV Companies receive special instructions "from above".

Further, the head of the Press Club "Asparez" has emphasized that the pressure exerted by the authorities is mostly felt by the journalists who are closer to the political centre, that is, the media workers of Yerevan and the adjacent Ararat Valley.

Regional media, unlike the Yerevan-based ones, have a certain degree of freedom. Unlike the capital, regions are sometimes allowed to criticize the central authorities; however, they cannot do the same with their local bosses, who are close to them and attentively watching everything, as Mr Barsegyan said.

In the city of Gyumri, the second largest city of Armenia, the GALA TV Company, non-controlled by the authorities, continues its operation; last March, the Company managed to avoid closing thanks to support of ordinary people. According to the head of the Press Club "Asparez", the Company works in the normal way, broadcasts a number of analytical and information programmes and gives detailed reports from the actions of the opposition, about the "Case of Seven" and other events.

According to Mr Barsegyan's estimates, the Armenian press is in the most complicated status. "The situation with printed media can be characterized as miserable," said Levon Barsegyan. "The total number of regional printed editions is 35, and their aggregate circulation is about 30,000. That is, every paper has a scanty circulation; besides, there are no dailies in the regions."