Avetik Ishkhanyan, Chairman of the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, believes that legal regulations alone are not enough to resist the spreading of hatred, as many are “playing on the conservative thoughts of the public.”

“Our politicians are not a step ahead of the public opinion, rather they adjust to it. Journalists are also the victims of public thought.”

According to him, the problem is about the media not being independent, which is why journalistic ethics are not being maintained.

Avetik Ishkhanyan considers the Prime Minister’s idea, that fakes threaten national security, to be dangerous.

That is dangerous even when the value of freedom of expression is proclaimed.

“Fighting against fakes may lead to serious suspicion where the media which criticizes the authorities and fakes are hunted, and the NSS will remain in the public consciousness as a monster,” he said.

In the drawer

The multilateral information manual has not been newly published, however, the subjects are still relevant.

Here, the Institute of multilateral information provides concrete examples of how to write about ethnic minorities, religious groups, different social groups or the LGBT community.

Gegham Vardanyan