The Pan-Armenian Forum of Journalists, which was held under the title “Armenian Statehood: Axis of Unity” this year, is one of the interesting initiatives of the RA Ministry of Diaspora. During the forum, the participants discussed several major issues related to the field of media, made new acquaintances, laid the foundation for new partnerships, made interesting proposals and held interesting discussions. The participation of journalists of Armenia and the Diaspora, who are known for their merit and experience, emphasized once again that a journalist needs to be viable, always be in a search, set forth interesting ideas and be someone from whom we can learn. My interview for Hayern Aysor was with such a meritorious journalist, writer, publicist, editor, longstanding media expert of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia (editor of the publishing department of the Ministry of Defense) Aspram Tsarukyan. 

Karine Avagyan: Dear Aspram Tsarukyan, can these forums somehow help “filter” the field of journalism so that only the pure remain?

Aspram Tsarukyan: I would like to believe that. In any case, this is what I aspire for. During the forum, Anna Karapetyan from the Czech Republic gave a good speech. She charmed me with her sound analysis of how we journalists often grope within the boundaries of mediocrity and, as a result, we make mistakes, i.e. sometimes we refer to Azerbaijani sources when reporting breaking news, and this is very sad. I myself feel confused when I read the news or watch news programs on television. It is as if everyone has gone to the border and has something to report, including military secrets. In this sense, there is a need for a strong signal and control so that illiterate, tolerant and unprofessional journalists don’t work arbitrarily. The time has come, and in this sense, there is definitely a need for major changes.

Karine Avagyan: As a longstanding editor for the Ministry of Defense and a journalist, you have had contacts with different journalists. Don’t you think there is a lack of professional journalists today?

A. T.: Alongside professionalism, I would also like to emphasize a journalist’s honesty and correct behavior. In the Soviet era, a journalist could go after a letter written by a simple and average worker, work on that for months, address the government and help, say, a worker obtain an apartment…Today, I don’t know if there are such journalists who have the nerve to go from door to door and solve an issue. In that sense, I feel that there is something missing. Of course, there are good journalists who have vast knowledge of innovative technologies, but in any case, there is something missing. 

Karine Avagyan: There are presses in Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian. Isn’t it hard for them to cooperate due to the linguistic differences?

A. T.: I personally have never had any problems with that. I don’t face a language barrier because, in my district, there were Armenians from Constantinople who would always speak in the marvelous Western Armenian language. Eastern Armenian media outlets can and must publish materials in Western Armenian as well. We Armenians must not lose that wealth.

Karine Avagyan: You are a journalist and a longstanding editor. Could you present your perspective of the attributes that a real journalist and editor should have?

A. T.: This might come as a surprise, but I attach great importance to smart and modest journalists. Sometimes I hear pompous words spoken by people who don’t know the meaning of those words. It is ridiculous. I get amazed, feel very sad and get angry when I see that a young journalist doesn’t recognize great Armenians, but has the pretension to present himself as a journalist and boasts about that everywhere. From my perspective, a real journalist and editor must have encyclopedic knowledge, have wonderful command of the Armenian language, our history and be politically literate and prepared. These are my expectations.

Interview by Karine Avagyan