On July 31, during the Public Meeting at Mashtots Park, which was attended by some representatives of Public Council, the activists prevented the representatives of H1, Armnews and Shant TV companies to shoot the meeting. The main assertion of representatives of civil movement was that the activities of aforesaid companies are guided, which violates the right to free speech. According to activists, TV channels often distort the facts and discredit civic movements.
Aravot inquired from TV companies whether these arguments are justified, and how they appreciate the fact that the journalists were not allowed to cover the public meeting. Gevorg Altunyan, Director of Public TV Informational and Analytical Programs, sent a written response to our query: “The First News Service of Public TV during the entire process of civil actions started against the transport fare increase has executed its functions and covered the process in all possible formats, through news releases, “Viewpoint” and “Interview” TV programs. To talk about the coverage being ‘guided’ is simply absurd. Consequently, the arguments of debate organizers initiated in MashtotsPark to prohibit video shooting are fictitious. But even if assertions of the activists, as you mentioned, were founded, at any cost, it cannot reserve the right to anyone to ban the work of the mass media in public space. To remind you that interfering with the work of journalists is a violation of law.”
Aghassi Hunanyan, head of Shant TV News department, answered the query of Aravot in writing: “Interfering with lawful professional activities of a journalist is an impudent and vulgar phenomenon prohibited by the law and a number of other legal acts, regardless of whether it was done by whom and on what basis. Referring to the excuse: the said action, since its launching up to the end, has been the number one event of our media. Now you can easily enter into the official website of Shant and Horizon and watching both basic and ‘Sunday’ analytical releases, make sure of the level of objectivity of coverage. Such a problem could be, just a group of nervous young men probably was not satisfied with the degree of appearing in the shot, and they decided to interfere. In fact, it is quite to the point to remember the fact that on July 31, interfering with the work of journalists at MashtotsPark was subjected to strong criticism by the original organizers and executors of “We pay 100 drams” action.
Gnel Nalbandyan, Editor-in-Chief of ‘Armnews’ TV company, in a conversation with us told that such deed of the activists can not be justified, and detailed: “Regardless, you are an activist, government official, a policeman, or a military man, you have no right to ban the media to cover your deeds. It is a violation of the Constitution, because the freedom of the journalists, the same freedom of speech is prescribed by the Constitution.” To the claims of the activists that given TV companies are working under guidance, G. Nalbandyan responded: “It is their personal opinion, and everyone is entitled to have its own opinion. As they do not know what the media is, they may say that it is working under guidance. It is just that each media has its own editorial policy. ‘Aravot’ has its own policy, ‘Armnews’ its own, H1 its own, and every media covers the event in accordance with its policy, and not exactly as they wish.”
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Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
