What a surprise! It’s not like the same PR-firm-designed advertising campaign was used in the Ukraine, in Georgia, in Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia!?! You better hurry up and topple the government or else we’re going to get stuck with a color like mauve.

As a matter of fact, Armenia’s first election was a free election. Be the corruption in the other elections as they may, what the Eurasia article OMITS, the stinking esh (donkey) in the room is this: A free and fair election can’t happen in Armenia unless powerful foreign interests, namely Russia and the US, somehow disappear from the scene. What do you think those boys at that billion dollar embassy-on-the-Sevan do all day, play hopscotch? (And, btw, one of the things they are very likely doing right now is figuring out which one of the Shalako-dancing natives will help them bomb Iran back to the stone-age.)

Do you see the irony in a Soros-funded organ’s reporting of electoral fraud, or don’t you? What is more fraudulent than a foreign interest hiring a PR firm to design a political campaign, complete with branded revolutions, pamphlets, t-shirts, planted articles and so on, to go influence a government half-way across the world?

Mind you, I’m not saying that they are gearing up for an all out rerun of the Ukraine campaign. No, what this is, is a reminder to all those in power or seeking power that, “Look, see how easy it is for papers to suddenly start running certain stories about certain governments and how corrupt they may or may not be? They can be a lot more specific, too, you know.”

As for you not experiencing any editorial pressure in your work, there being a lot of Armenians working for RFE, and the way these outfits operate in general, please refer to the “Attack on RFE/RL’s Armenian Service” thread.

The editor has NEVER given me cause for concern re any policy regarding content.

Anyway, I’ll just say that the election coverage was the most comprehensive and unbiased of any media outlet. Yes, I worked a lot on the photo side of that (most of the uncredited photos on the election site are mine), but you can take a look and decide for yourself.

http://www.eurasianet.org/armenia/

Freedom House is an Open Society Institute project, founded by George Soros. You know, the guy who’s been installing new regimes, associated with pretty colors, in Easternish Europe? I don’t think Soros is a particularly evil guy, but I don’t think the welfare of Armenia is up at the top of his agenda, either, exactly.

I love the Armenian blogosphere, but I hate how politically ignorant and inattentive it can be. You live in Armenia; if you want to do something good for the people of Armenia, you ought to do a little reading, a little thinking, and a little digging, so you don’t end up endorsing organizations and views that do not have the best interests of the Armenian people in mind.

Hot on the trial of a previous post which outlined Freedom House’s concerns about tendencies to limit media freedom in Russia and the CIS comes news that Armenia is following a path already being followed in other republics where media freedom a…

Being in one category doesn’t mean you’re going to stay in it, lift yourself out of it, or not slip further which is something that Armenia has done most notably in 2002 when A1 Plus went off the air. As it is, Armenia is close to the bottom of the list of partly free countries and is probably closer to some countries in the Not Free category as opposed to those in the Free. Georgia, on the other hand, is way above Armenia in the Partly Free countries, but I wouldn’t call on anyone to be complacent there either.

Anyway, if you want to understand the Freedom House rankings, read the full report I suppose. Makes more sense than looking at the country chart and wondering what all the numbers mean when the report itself outlines concerns, identifies trends and makes conclusions. On the other hand, things were better this time round for the election, but that will be picked up in next year’s report if this was a genuine development that will stay with us and which can be built upon.

FREEDOM HOUSE CONSIDERS ARMENIAN MASS MEDIA NON-FREE

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 25 2007

YEREVAN, June 25. /ARKA/. Freedom House international human rights organization placed Armenia in the list of the countries with non-free mass media outlets in its regular report.

Armenian mass media have been considered “non-free” since 2003 when “A1+” independent TV company was deprived of the air on the eve of parliamentary and presidential elections in the country, “Svoboda” radio station reported.

According to the report, apart from Armenia nine of 12 CIS member countries also have “non-free” mass media outlets.

These countries do not provide the fundamental guarantees and protection for mass media outlets in legal, political and economic spheres that is a basis for open and independent journalism, the report says.

Nevertheless, I wonder when some regulation might appear on internet resources. I mean, it IS the main medium for alternative voices now.

Only thing is that not many people use the internet in Armenia and even less for news or political information. I think if that were to change it’s best not to be complacent.

As a rule, any government tries to control. The only thing that limits the extent of that control is civil society in particular countries.

It’s also worth pointing out that there’s no need to even think of controlling online outlets if they don’t pose a threat and it has to be said that this is the situation in Armenia.

That is, the authorities are established and in control and there is no viable opposition movement or even civil society to speak of. I wonder what would happen if that situation were to change.

Still, your main point is true. We have it quite lucky in Armenia compared to other countries.