From August to November 2005 the “Social Technologies Centre” NGO together with the “Social Dialogue and Development Centre” NGO implemented the “RA Constitutional reforms, public awareness” program by the grant provided by the RA State Budget.

About 30 journalists from the leading mass media of Armenia (TV, radio, press) from Yerevan and regions who cover the RA Constitutional reforms participated in a three-day seminar and got thorough information about the intended reforms and obliged to prepare at least 3 reports (articles) on the Constitutional reforms and broadcast (print) them free of charge (overall about 90 TV programs, radio programs and articles).
The monitoring of the media publications and TV and radio programs on the “Constitutional reforms” was carried out during the program. 
The results of the monitoring were analyzed during the second seminar organized in Yerevan. The journalists’ attention was drawn on the omissions and contradictory nuances which were recorded during the main process of the campaign on Constitutional reforms.

Report on the “RA Constitutional reforms, public awareness” program

FIRST STAGE
August 25-September 10

OUTGOING SEMINAR-DISCUSSION

Works were carried out to find out mass media position on covering the process of the Constitutional reforms. During the research it turned out that both the pro-government and opposition mass media mainly stress the Yes/ No of the Constitutional reforms neglecting the provision of necessary and unbiased information to the public. Based on this the list of the journalists who should participate in the outgoing seminar – discussion on the “RA Constitutional reforms” was made. Within the mentioned period the “Social Technologies Centre” NGO organized a number of meetings with the journalists, representatives of NGOs, deputies of the RA National Assembly, independent experts and the issues of the seminar were clarified. The “Social Technologies Centre” NGO sent letters to the mass media, international organizations (OSCE Office in Yerevan, European Union Office in Armenia) to confirm their participation in the seminar. The responses received from the international organizations were distinctive who expressed their readiness to participate in the works on the Constitutional reforms.

September 10-15: The organizers of the seminar together with the correspondent specialists studied the terms of the Constitutional reforms and the discussions clarified the direction and scope of the issues raised during the seminar.

September 16-18: Discussion on the “RA Constitutional reforms, public awareness” program was carried out in the “Tsaghkadzor’s Writers’ House”. 
Head of the RPA Center for Social-Political Studies Artak Zakaryan, lecturer of the Russian –Armenian Slovanic University and the State Engineering University of Armenia Andranik Tevanyan lecturer of journalism of the Russian –Armenian Slovanic University, the editor-in-chief of “Mediamax” news agency Davit Alaverdyan, politician Gerasim Barseghyan and the head of the “Association of the Young Lawyers of Armenia ” Karen Zadoyan made reports.

Hayk Babukhanyan (“Iravunk”), Karen Kocharyan (“P-Art” Ltd.), Nver Mnacakanyan (“Shant” TV), Vigen Hakobyan (“AiF in Armenia”) and others made speeches. 
During the seminar an attempt was made to find effective mechanisms of covering the reforms objectively refraining from the existing possibilities of influencing on the society. Though the authors and the deputies of the National Assembly didn’t participate in the discussions (having objective reasons) the discussions can be considered successful. The media publications also state the same. The discussions were carried out freely and the participants had an opportunity to express themselves in the debates and present their suggestions.

During the seminar the primary package of the constitutional reforms and the correspondent decision of the Venice Committee were given to the participants (the list is attached) which enabled them to conduct the discussions in a more effective and objective way. 
As a result of a two-day discussion a memorandum was signed which states, “We, the participants of the “RA Constitutional reforms, public awareness” program seminar signify the role and importance of the Law in the development of sovereign, legal, democratic and social republic. Meanwhile we think that the process of constitutional reforms should be carried out together with public discussions which will increase public awareness. In this respect it is essential that the mass media cover the campaign effectively which should be objective and comprehensive”.

SECOND STAGE
October – November

MASS MEDIA MONITORING

The analysis of the referendum campaign of the RA constitutional reforms by mass media.
The monitoring of the constitutional reforms is the second stage of the “RA Constitutional reforms, public awareness”grant program and ten TV companies (“H1”, “H2”, “AR”, “ALM”, “Armenia”, “Shant”, “ArmenAkob”, “Arm News”, “Yerkir Media”, “Kentron”), ten newspapers (“Haykakan Zhamanak”, “HH”, “Hayoc Ashkharh”, “Iravunk”, “Golos Armenii”, “Azg”, “Yerkir”, “Aravot”, “168 Zham”, “Respublika Armenii”) and two radio stations (“Public Radio” and “Azatutyun”) were involved in this stage. All the publications on the constitutional reforms were observed based on the information received from the above-mentioned TV companies, radio stations and news agencies.

The monitoring was carried out from October 1 to November 25, 2005 and the studies were based on TV programs and publications on the reforms. Accordingly by summarizing the results of the study we state, “Equal time for broadcast, area for media and satisfactory conditions were not provided while covering the campaign of the constitutional reforms, comments and viewpoints on definite articles by the mass media in the above-mentioned period of time. In particular, the TV companies didn’t provide the equal covering of the campaign stressing the positive side of the reforms and the advantages of the new project”.

October 1-November 25

The positive, negative and neutral reports on the constitutional reforms by the TV companies are the following- positive -721, negative – 302, neutral – 337. 113 reports were on objective awareness.

The polarization concerning the press is more evident.

The pro-government and opposition newspapers stressed the evident campaign or anti-campaign sometimes using the technologies of black PR. 
The daily newspapers “Azg” and “Aravot” covered the program in a more balanced way.
“HH” – positive 53, negative -2, neutral – 62
“Hayoc Ashkharh” – positive -70, negative -3, neutral- 72
“Golos Armenii” – positive – 25, negative – 6, neutral – 34
“Aravot” – positive – 13, negative – 48, neutral – 133
“Azg”– positive -12 , negative -10 , neutral – 32
“Haykakan Zhamanak”– positive – 8, negative – 83, neutral – 83

In general the mass media paid sufficient attention to the constitutional reforms and the campaign. It should be mentioned that during the campaign the mass media (especially the press) didn’t provide impartial coverage as a result of which the process of the public awareness was also insufficient. There was also biased approach to TV debates. Some opposition politicians were given opportunity to express their opinions at the end of the campaign. It is necessary to separate “Lraber” and “Radiolur” programs which presented the comparative analyses of the constitutional reforms how the reforms were made. More unbaised were the TV programs “Banadzev” of H1 and “Yerkri teman” of “Yerkir Media” TV. Artak Aleksanyan (H1 “Banadsev”), Mariam Barseghyan (“Yerkir Media”, “Yerkri teman”) and Anush Dashtenc (National Radio “Radiolur”) were recognized as the best journalists based on the monitoring results and were prized 46.000 drams. 
A memorandum was signed among the participants of the seminar highlighting the publicity and transparency of the process of the constitutional reforms and comprehensive coverage by mass media.

“Social Technologies Centre” NGO

List of the participants in the seminar on “Constitutional reforms and public awareness”

1. Mher Shahgeldyan – Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Defense, National Security and Internal Affairs
2. Andranik Tevanyan – Lecturer of the Russian –Armenian Slovanic University, politician
3. Davit Alaverdyan – Lecturer of the Russian –Armenian Slovanic University, the editor-in-chief of “Mediamax” news agency
4. Karen Zadoyan – Head of the “Association of the Young Lawyers of Armenia ”
5. Gerasim Barseghyan – President of the “Areg 73” NGO
6. Khachik Galstyan – Candidate of political science
7. Elinar Vardanyan -Executive Director of Center for Public Dialogue and Development
8. Yervand Bozoyan – Expert of the Center for Public Dialogue and Development
9. Artak Poghosyan – Expert of the Center for Public Dialogue and Development
10. Artak Zakaryan – Head of the RPA Center for Social-Political Studies

Mass Media

11. Armen Amiryan – Head of the Public Radio
12. Hayk Babukhanyan – Head of the staff union of “Iravunk” weekly newspaper 
13. Vigen Hakobyan – AiF in Armenia
14. Tigran Haroutyunyan – Noyan Tapan
15. Lusine Mkrtchyan – H1 “Haylur”
16. Elmira Shakaryan – H1 “Haylur”
17. Alina Khudoyan – H2 “Lraber”
18. Never Mnacakanyan – Shant “Herankar”
19. Norayr Poghosyan – Kentron “Epikentron”