Margahoviti Zoravig (“Margahovit’s Support”) is Lori province’s only village publication. It has been published since 2007.

The initial issues were printed on standard A4 paper. Now, the costs for publishing 500 copies of each issue are covered by the Zoravig patriotic union.

Since 2009, Margahoviti Zoravig has been distributed free of charge. In order for the newspaper to become financially self-sustainable, there was an attempt to sell it; however, since it contains news related only to the village, it was not read outside of the village. 

In the village as well, the sale of the newspaper was not enough for it to be able to completely cover its expenses. 

The funds provided by Zoravig patriotic union only cover the paper’s print run four times a year. Other issues are published thanks to sponsorship by individual donors.

The paper’s work is completely coordinated by editor Hovhannes Sardaryan, who was still a student when he assumed the position. For 6 years, he has been the paper’s only employee: chief editor, journalist, and copy editor or proofreader.

Margahoviti Zoravig doesn’t have regular, in-house staff: daily news about the village school is reported by the teachers, events outside of the village are reported by Sardaryan’s colleagues, and if necessary his more senior friends help him.

“I do my work with pleasure, since I find that each person has to do what he can for his place of birth. But you can’t maintain a paper only with devotion.  A newspaper needs journalists, but few are ready to work for free, and keeping a news outlet, and that without finances, to put it mildly, is difficult,” he says.

Recently, a film was made about Margahoviti Zoravig. Sardaryan was able to present the idea of the film to benefactors originally from Margahovit and get the necessary financial support.

The 22-minute film, titled “A Story About A Newspaper” [in Armenian only], was made with the efforts of young journalists from Vanadzor. 

“I’m convinced that the film will help with distributing the paper and more effectively organizing our work in the future,” he says.

Adrine Torosyan, Vanadzor