Freedom of Information Center of Armenia.

01.02.2006 Towards dialogue between executive power and society

Anahit Stepanyan Information bulletin 16 The efficiency of government’s activities greatly depends upon its transparency and openness, which contribute to the establishment and strengthening of links between authorities and simple citizens. This specific dialogue between authorities and citizens results in the formation of the society’s participatory and monitoring institute, in the presence of which the government’s and its subdivisions’ activities become more focused. In...

01.12.2005 Freedom of Information in Gegharquniq marz

Papin Muradyan, Gegharquniq region Bulletin 15 Gegharquniq region has 5 cities, 87 villages and only 5 mass media – 2 newspapers (“Geghama ashkhar” is not functioning due to the editor’s illness. A new editor has already been appointed, so the paper will appear in print again) and 3 TV companies. As for radio, it is not available in Gegharquniq like in almost all regions. In Chambarak and Vardenis cities there are no mass media functioning . Naturally, journalists of...

01.10.2005 Artificial Obstacles Against Freedom of Information

Arthur Hovhannisyan Bulletin #14 In the Republic of Armenia information freedom or right really exists... However for socially vulnerable layers of the society, that is to say for the majority of population information freedom is actually restricted. This means that information freedom in our country bears formal nature. What do we mean by saying this?... When on November 15, 2003 the RA law on “Information freedom” was adopted, it seemed that in Armenia there would not be...

01.10.2005 Encouraging Name, Discouraging Activities

Ararat Davtyan, Karlen Aslanyan  students of YSU journalism department Bulletin 14 The Information Center (IC) has been functioning for more than a year on the 1st floor of the 3rd governmental building. However, as our observations show the center functions insufficiently. 7 ministries and the state statistic agency located in this building have their representatives who mainly tell citizens where to go and whom to apply concerning a problem instead of providing them...

01.10.2005 The information bog

Voskan Sargsyan, Tavush region Bulletin 14 “A secluded, lonely place”: this is the title of the report about Tavoush region, prepared by one of my colleagues several years ago. Today the situation is almost the same. The farther you move away from Yerevan, the worse becomes the condition of information and speech freedom. Таvoush region is located on the edge of Armenia and the information sphere here is underdeveloped. Functioning in the region are “Qamut” (Noyemberyan) and...

01.07.2005 Where Banking Secrecy Meets Commercial Secrecy

Gayaneh Hovakimyan Bulletin #13 Until recently, among state structures of Armenia the Central Bank was one of the most active ones in working with mass media perhaps yielding in activeness only to the National Assembly. Currently, the Central Bank prefers a more passive working style. By saying active working style, we mean the meetings with journalists and other events during which journalists have the opportunity to ask questions they are interested in. Of course we also...