Hayern Aysor continues to present excerpts from the speeches by the participants of the sessions of the 8^th Pan-Armenian Forum of Journalists in Yerevan. The 8^th Pan-Armenian Forum of Journalists was organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora under the title “Armenian Statehood: Axis of Unity”.

Anna Givargizyan

Editor-in-Chief of Moscow’s Zham magazine 

“The role of Armenian periodical press in the dissemination of national and cultural values in a foreign environment”

“It would be hard to overestimate the role that Armenian periodical press plays in the dissemination of national and cultural values in a foreign environment. The community as such grows as a spiritual structure, and so, communication through periodicals, consolidation of the given community and its connection to other communities through the media has always been and still is a vital necessity and a spiritual demand. Every periodical, if not every edition, becomes a historical document, and undoubtedly, becomes of historical, viable and practical significance. The more Armenian periodicals there are, the greater the competition will be and the higher the quality will be.

In this sense, I would like to draw your attention to a very important issue. Armenian independent periodicals in Armenian and foreign languages in the Diaspora are in a catastrophic situation and in need of help. If certain periodicals have been established as independent periodicals throughout the history of the Armenian people, they have been shut down due to lack of funding in a short period of time, or have fallen under the influence of the authorities or any political party or a group, becoming an externally independent periodical, but a periodical that is dependent on them in terms of content.

There are Armenian politically affiliated periodicals that serve as the official newspapers of political parties and are initially called for shedding light on the activities of the particular political party and the political party’s role in society, culture and politics. Consequently, the political party covers the funding for the periodical. There are also ecclesiastical periodicals that provide coverage of church life and publish thanks to the financial assistance of the particular church. Among other periodicals are newspapers that are the official newspapers of communities established by the given community and funded through the efforts of the community’s members or any wealthy member of the community. Those newspapers are called for presenting community life and setting forth issues, etc…However, unfortunately, on the background of all this, we have incomparably few independent periodicals. As one of the main means of mass information and propaganda, media also serves as a powerful weapon for social and political struggles, as well as a major link for enlightenment, education, dissemination of knowledge, enhancement of culture and the formation of a world view. Independent media is the necessary guarantee for establishing a healthy society and educating a healthy generation. So, by properly appreciating the role and significance of independent media, it is necessary to encourage and provide assistance to periodicals, if not financially, then at least morally.”