Comments on: Notes from the Armenian Blogosphere http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/ Journalism and Photography from Armenia and the Surrounding Region Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:35:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Garo Sernaz http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1129 Fri, 24 Mar 2006 03:26:20 +0000 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1129 Good collection of short comment and/or articles from Armenia...(blogs...) it seems that more honest and accurate news will emerge by the time....In the mean time for Armenian Genocide...the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia comment for Genocide and prospect that he will be recalled , Armenians shall react forcefully either in Armenia and/or diaspora by filling as you suggest United States State Department Web Site ...Contact us section...with their protest...after all there are over million Armenian taxpayer in United States...which represents quite a voice/force in the United State...which State Department couldn't ignore.... Coming th PBS debating if Genocide occured...it only stimulates Armenians to voice their discontent...and makes suspicious people that Turkey is bribing some people...there to make Genocide contestable....after all we are exiled from our own land and most of the Armenians were then killed either in the Turkish army...or during and after deportation...those : elderly, women and children.... Good collection of short comment and/or articles from Armenia…(blogs…) it seems that more honest and accurate news will emerge by the time….In the mean time for Armenian Genocide…the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia comment for Genocide and prospect that he will be recalled , Armenians shall react forcefully either in Armenia and/or diaspora by filling as you suggest United States State Department Web Site …Contact us section…with their protest…after all there are over million Armenian taxpayer in United States…which represents quite a voice/force in the United State…which State Department couldn’t ignore….
Coming th PBS debating if Genocide occured…it only stimulates Armenians to voice their discontent…and makes suspicious people that Turkey is bribing some people…there to make Genocide contestable….after all we are exiled from our own land and most of the Armenians were then killed either in the Turkish army…or during and after deportation…those : elderly, women and children….

]]> by: Onnik http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1102 Tue, 21 Mar 2006 15:38:06 +0000 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1102 Tamar at Armyouth has done some digging and it does indeed appear that police officers do not earn as much as she was told. There are two lessons here, I think. First, when making claims on a blog it is imperative to find supporting evidence, accounts or news reports to link to, but if they don't exist to make it clear that such a claim is unsubstantiated and should be treated as such until clarified. This is standard practice for journalists. Secondly, Armenia is one of the places where people say anything and everything about everyone, and it's never good to rely on just one source for what is anecdotal evidence from one or even two sources. Instead, it's worth talking to many people, seeing whether the same information is provided and finding reputable sources to confirm and clarify that information. Anyway, I do respect anyone who is willing to print a retraction because in my opinion it is vital that we have reliable information coming out of Armenia and at least some kind of discussion took place on the subject of corruption in the police force in Armenia. Usually, Armenians don't bother to admit their mistake or print retractions or corrections in the case of journalists. Here's what Tamar wrote <blockquote>Update Regarding Police at Work In regards to the question about the salaries of the police in Armenia, I would like to state the following. It turns out that after speaking to some local police officers, they do not make between $300-400. While there was a 40% pay increase for them in 2005, the average police officer does not earn this much. However, it turns out the more senior and higher officers are making this amount. In addition, I also inquired about the military and the higher military officers are also making this amount as well. (A friend who is a soldier in the Armenian army mentioned this information. Thus I would like to say that this piece of information is from an unconfirmed source.) Thus, I am retracting this sentence from the article that they are making $300-400.</blockquote> Anyway, the long and the short of it is for blogs to be taken as reliable sources of information from Armenia, facts and figures should be checked and double-checked. It's a practise all of us have to follow, and I hope everyone learns from this experience. Otherwise, we're going to get other situations when incorrect information -- in this case the idea that police are becoming less corrupt when that doesn't seem to be the case -- disseminated throught the world which ain't going to help anyone and certainly not those living in Armenia. Unfortunately, this is not the first time in Armyouth's short lifetime that Tamar has disseminated inaccurate and false information. In February, for example, it was reported that <a href="http://armyouth.wordpress.com/2006/02/20/se%e2%80%a6curity-drugs-and-rock%e2%80%99n%e2%80%99roll/">1,500 fans attended a rock concert in Tsaghadzor</a> that the organizers say only 350 actually went to. Really, it's not possible to mistake a few hundred people for well over a thousand, and I hope that a greater effort is made to get their facts and figures right in the future. After saying all of that, however, I'd still like concrete figures for how much police earn in Armenia -- both officially and "unofficially." Tamar at Armyouth has done some digging and it does indeed appear that police officers do not earn as much as she was told. There are two lessons here, I think. First, when making claims on a blog it is imperative to find supporting evidence, accounts or news reports to link to, but if they don’t exist to make it clear that such a claim is unsubstantiated and should be treated as such until clarified. This is standard practice for journalists.

Secondly, Armenia is one of the places where people say anything and everything about everyone, and it’s never good to rely on just one source for what is anecdotal evidence from one or even two sources. Instead, it’s worth talking to many people, seeing whether the same information is provided and finding reputable sources to confirm and clarify that information.

Anyway, I do respect anyone who is willing to print a retraction because in my opinion it is vital that we have reliable information coming out of Armenia and at least some kind of discussion took place on the subject of corruption in the police force in Armenia. Usually, Armenians don’t bother to admit their mistake or print retractions or corrections in the case of journalists. Here’s what Tamar wrote

Update Regarding Police at Work

In regards to the question about the salaries of the police in Armenia, I would like to state the following. It turns out that after speaking to some local police officers, they do not make between $300-400. While there was a 40% pay increase for them in 2005, the average police officer does not earn this much. However, it turns out the more senior and higher officers are making this amount. In addition, I also inquired about the military and the higher military officers are also making this amount as well. (A friend who is a soldier in the Armenian army mentioned this information. Thus I would like to say that this piece of information is from an unconfirmed source.)

Thus, I am retracting this sentence from the article that they are making $300-400.

Anyway, the long and the short of it is for blogs to be taken as reliable sources of information from Armenia, facts and figures should be checked and double-checked. It’s a practise all of us have to follow, and I hope everyone learns from this experience. Otherwise, we’re going to get other situations when incorrect information — in this case the idea that police are becoming less corrupt when that doesn’t seem to be the case — disseminated throught the world which ain’t going to help anyone and certainly not those living in Armenia.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time in Armyouth’s short lifetime that Tamar has disseminated inaccurate and false information. In February, for example, it was reported that 1,500 fans attended a rock concert in Tsaghadzor that the organizers say only 350 actually went to. Really, it’s not possible to mistake a few hundred people for well over a thousand, and I hope that a greater effort is made to get their facts and figures right in the future.

After saying all of that, however, I’d still like concrete figures for how much police earn in Armenia — both officially and “unofficially.”

]]> by: Onnik http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1093 Mon, 20 Mar 2006 16:56:32 +0000 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1093 For more on the issue of average police salaries in Armenia, check out the comments section on Tamar's post: https://armyouth.wordpress.com/2006/03/17/police-at-work/ For more on the issue of average police salaries in Armenia, check out the comments section on Tamar’s post:

https://armyouth.wordpress.com/2006/03/17/police-at-work/

]]> by: Onnik http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1092 Mon, 20 Mar 2006 13:15:28 +0000 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1092 As mentioned above, Tamar's reference to salaries ranging from $300-400 a month sounds unlikely and nobody I've spoken to here in the media agrees with this statement. Anyway, here is the comment I've left on Tamar's section along with others requesting she clarify this information although so far she hasn't. <blockquote>Can you please name your source for salaries in the police force. I have just spoken to a journalist at RFE/RL and am told that salaries are still low (although higher) and start at 30,000 drams a month. Some of the most SENIOR officers ight receive as much as $500 / month. If you know differently, please refer your readers to your source. You cannot make such statements when they sound highly unlikely and are not backed up by facts through links or the naming of the source of your information. Otherwise, Armyouth will lose any chance of gaining credibility as a source of information from Armenia.</blockquote> As mentioned above, Tamar’s reference to salaries ranging from $300-400 a month sounds unlikely and nobody I’ve spoken to here in the media agrees with this statement. Anyway, here is the comment I’ve left on Tamar’s section along with others requesting she clarify this information although so far she hasn’t.

Can you please name your source for salaries in the police force. I have just spoken to a journalist at RFE/RL and am told that salaries are still low (although higher) and start at 30,000 drams a month. Some of the most SENIOR officers ight receive as much as $500 / month.

If you know differently, please refer your readers to your source. You cannot make such statements when they sound highly unlikely and are not backed up by facts through links or the naming of the source of your information.

Otherwise, Armyouth will lose any chance of gaining credibility as a source of information from Armenia.

]]> by: Global Voices Online http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1091 Sun, 19 Mar 2006 23:52:24 +0000 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1091 <strong>Voices from Central Asia and the Caucasus</strong> Lunch - by Dushanbe Pictures, Erik Petersson, 2006 With that fresh portion of Tajik plov on your plate, we bid you welcome to the latest roundup of the Central Asian and Caucasian blogosphere, brought to you bi-weekly by neweurasia. First off, apolo... Voices from Central Asia and the Caucasus

Lunch - by Dushanbe Pictures, Erik Petersson, 2006
With that fresh portion of Tajik plov on your plate, we bid you welcome to the latest roundup of the Central Asian and Caucasian blogosphere, brought to you bi-weekly by neweurasia. First off, apolo…

]]> by: Onnik http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1083 Sun, 19 Mar 2006 03:42:33 +0000 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1083 Incidently, it would appear that my opinion on Andre's entry for Armenia into the Eurovision Song contest is not shared by others, so credit where credit is due. Here's <a href="http://journals.aol.co.uk/garethbellis/theblog/entries/258" rel="nofollow">one reference</a> to the song: <blockquote>Armenia – Welcome to Eurovision. This is a very confident debut entry from Armenia. In fact, I think this is one of the strongest debut entries from any country since Latvia in 2000. This is a competently executed up beat pop track, which contains a strong folk sound (but this is contest’s most easterly country – I think we can allow that). It will suffer if drawn near Albania, Slovenia or Russia, but this deserves a place in the final.</blockquote> Fair enough... Incidently, it would appear that my opinion on Andre’s entry for Armenia into the Eurovision Song contest is not shared by others, so credit where credit is due. Here’s one reference to the song:

Armenia – Welcome to Eurovision. This is a very confident debut entry from Armenia. In fact, I think this is one of the strongest debut entries from any country since Latvia in 2000. This is a competently executed up beat pop track, which contains a strong folk sound (but this is contest’s most easterly country – I think we can allow that). It will suffer if drawn near Albania, Slovenia or Russia, but this deserves a place in the final.

Fair enough…

]]> by: Onnik http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1082 Sun, 19 Mar 2006 03:29:11 +0000 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1082 There's also more on the possible recall of the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia <a href="http://armenianaffairs.blogspot.com/2006/03/widespread-outrage-over-news-of-us.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. There’s also more on the possible recall of the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia here.

]]> by: Onnik http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1081 Sun, 19 Mar 2006 02:49:00 +0000 http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/03/19/notes-from-the-armenian-blogosphere-9/#comment-1081 Since posting this entry I've noticed that Zarchka has written another entry going into more details about the suicide of a student at her University. Read it online <a href="http://lifearoundme.wordpress.com/2006/03/18/nothing-has-the-price-of-life/" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Since posting this entry I’ve noticed that Zarchka has written another entry going into more details about the suicide of a student at her University.

Read it online here.

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