The Union of Journalists of Armenia held a conference on December 28 in the hall of the Writers’ Union of Armenia. This was the first one since 2002. The Union’s president of the last 25 years, Astghik Gevorgyan, declared her resignation at the start of the conference.

Satik Seyranyan, chief editor of the newspaper 168 Zham, had announced at the start of the week that she wants to head the Union of Journalists. At the conference, journalist, Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) parliamentary faction member Margarit Yesayan nominated and defended her candidacy. Public TV of Armenia journalist and Yerevan State University (YSU) PhD student Harutyun Tsatryan nominated himself.

The number of people participating in the conference was unclear. No advance registration had been done. According to the website of the Yerevan Press Club, the Journalists’ Union of Armenia has 1,520 members.

Of the Union’s members present, 57 voted in favor of Seyranyan’s candidacy. Tsatryan received no votes — nor was he expecting to receive any. He had nominated himself to underscore the Union’s unclear status. “Neither I nor anyone else was properly notified of this conference, no voting procedure exists, and delegates have not received mandates. If everything is in a state of neglect, then I’m nominating myself.”

Seyranyan urged her journalist colleagues to join the Union and “together fight to not only raise, but also reform the [media] sector’s problems.”

As president of the Union of Journalists of Armenia, Seyranyan is preparing first “to take stock of all the resources, to reassess the human resources first of all and try to change the situation.”

The Union of Journalists of Armenia’s new board members are Roland Sharoyan, Zaven Khachikyan, Artyom Yerkanyan, Naghash Martirosyan, Grigor Janikyan, Zara Aramyan, and Marieta Makaryan.

The Union of Journalists of Armenia was founded on March 27, 1959. The Journalists’ House in Yerevan opened on June 1, 1978. The Union of Journalists of Armenia is a member of the International Federation of Journalists and the International Confederation of Journalists’ Unions.

Gagik Aghbalyan