The Role of New Media in the Political and Social Landscape of Armenia

Звернено увагу на сучасні тенденції розвитку медіаландшафту Вірменії. Показано вплив нових медіа на порядок денний традиційних ЗМІ, який зростає із збільшенням кількості новинних сайтів й актуалізацією соціальних мереж, що дає змогу створити зручну платформу для обговорення питань місцевого значення громадами столиці й далеко за її межами. Проаналізовано альтернативні джерела інформації та запропоновано шляхи уникнення безвідповідальної журналістики.The report gives an expert analysis of the modern trends in the media landscape of Armenia, and expounds the influence of new media on traditional media. This influence is expanding as news sites and social networks develop and increase in number, providing convenient platforms for geographically distant capital communities to discuss local issues. The piece also reviews alternative sources of information and considers how irresponsible journalism may be avoided

Mapping Digital Media: Armenia

The Mapping Digital Media project examines the global opportunities and risks created by the transition from traditional to digital media. Covering 60 countries, the project examines how these changes affect the core democratic service that any media system should provide: news about political, economic, and social affairs.Recent years have seen a rapid expansion of the internet in Armenia, not only among the residents of the capital city and other urban areas, but also in remote regions of the country. It was particularly noticeable in 2010–2011, when the number of internet users increased by almost 40 percent.The report finds that, overall, digitization has increased the diversity of media outlets and their news offer, and the plurality of opinions expressed. Yet the lack of independence of regulatory institutions, non-transparent media ownership, flawed broadcast legislation, and the slow pace of digital switch-over continue to obstruct the development of the media sector. Television, the main source of information, is still largely controlled by the authorities. There is widespread hidden censorship as a result of political pressure on media outlets, which especially affects the news and political output on television. Most media outlets remain dependent upon large businesses and the political elite, with which they have become integrated