大象传媒

A Factor TV correspondent at work in Nagorno-Karabakh - photo courtesy of Factor TV

In Armenia, we are working in a consortium with Deutsche Welle Academy (DWA), Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation Armenia (OSIAFA) and two Armenian media organisations, Hetq and Factor TV, in a three-year project, European Media Facility in Armenia 鈥� Building a Sustainable and Professional Media. The project is funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

An important moment

The project launched in December 2020, in the wake of renewed fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh, national political uncertainty and with the COVID-19 pandemic raging. Against this backdrop, Armenian society has become even more polarised, which was evident during the snap elections of 2021. The situation has been further inflamed by politically influenced media outlets, who are themselves often struggling to survive financially.

In this moment, robust independent media are ever more crucial to the future of the country.

Improving standards, ensuring sustainability

Working with independent national and regional media, we offer masterclasses, immersion visits and training and mentoring programmes that draw on global experience, but are rooted in the Armenian context. We also offer a specific programme for universities, providing practical skills to the journalists of the future.

Our courses cover a range of topics 鈥� from how to use mobile phones for reporting, to storytelling for investigations, to how strong interview techniques can make stories more compelling. We employ world-leading content producers and trainers from the 大象传媒 and elsewhere, to ensure our media partners can make content that increases dialogue across society, engages more audiences and holds those in power to account. In the first year of the project, we trained over 50 media practitioners.

Through workshops, networking and national events, we also connect participants with their colleagues from other parts of Armenia, to bring different perspectives and ideas to their work and open space for collaboration. This is enhanced through our work with 10 regional media to expand on the Media Ethics Observatory's work around shared editorial principles and a self-regulation initiative. We're currently working with local media including the Journalists' Club Asparez, Goris Press Club, CCMS, Tsayg, Alt TV and others.

Funding is critical

However, public interest content is not enough. If media houses can鈥檛 fund themselves, they can鈥檛 survive to produce the trusted content that is so desperately needed. Our partner DWA works with managers and media on the sustainability and viability of independent media, which is part of our media ecosystem approach.

Meet our partner - Factor TV

大象传媒 Media Action started working with Factor TV in December 2020. We provide capacity building workshops with a focus on journalistic skills.

Factor is a relatively new online TV news platform which produces and publishes diverse video content, including studio interviews, debates, news blocs, video reportage and documentaries via its website, YouTube, Facebook and Telegram. It was established as an NGO in 2016 to support the operation of an independent, impartial, reliable media platform in Armenia, and launched the platform in 2017. Factor was a leading news source during the 2018 'Velvet Revolution' and has maintained its 'watchdog' role throughout its five years of operation.

The website publishes content in Russian, English and Armenian. 

Factor has 262,000 YouTube subscribers, with nearly 315 million lifetime views, and a Facebook following of nearly 370,000. They have 19 members of staff, including journalists, video editors, camera operators, financial staff and management.

"Though Factor TV has only five years of experience, it is one of the leading online media in Armenia with the highest number of readers and viewers. We present unbiased, balanced and reliable information to the public about events that take place in Armenia and around the world. It is important for us to provide space for inclusive and informed debates on reforms and important social, economic and democratic developments in Armenia.

鈥淓very day, we publish video reportage, analytical, investigative and fact-checking video materials and original programmes. We also focus on live broadcasting from hot spots. With our activities, we wish to contribute to the consolidation of democratic values in Armenia, the empowerment of civil society, human rights, protection of fundamental freedoms, social justice and promotion of the principles of equality, and, certainly the development of quality media.

"Accessing stable, independent financial sources is an issue for us, as the Armenian market is very small to secure self-financing. Stable and predictable funding will give us the opportunity for long-term strategic planning and development.

"We constantly try to access training and development for our staff and to be pioneers of innovative technological approaches in Armenia. Nevertheless, the current polarisation in Armenia makes our work somewhat difficult. Sometimes our employees are subjected to pressure and are targeted on social networks.

"Our collaboration with 大象传媒 Media Action is a good opportunity to enrich our staff's professional capacities. Factor TV is also working with 大象传媒 Media Action to implement an educational programme for young journalists, which is important from the perspective of raising the quality of the media field generally.鈥�

Meet our regional partner - Alt TV

Alt TV is based in Armavir, a region to the west of Yerevan, an agricultural area which is suffering from the effects of pollution from the mining industry, a contaminated water supply, climate change and poor access to education in local villages.

Alt TV was established in 1989. Although the station lost its digital broadcasting license in 2021, the team continues to publish their website, , which was founded in 2011.

"The biggest challenge for media within Armenia is the independence of the editors and journalists. We deal with a polarised media, where outlets belong to oligarchs or political parties.

"The public TV, which is funded by our taxes, is actually just showcasing the government line. And so called 鈥榠ndependent鈥� TV channels actually promote the interests of the political parties, who fund them.

"This lack of financial independence is a huge challenge to freedom of speech. Therefore, financial independence is needed in order for us to be the voice of the public, instead of the voice of the oligarchs. In Armenia it is a real struggle to have financial independence. Currently, independent media, like us, are in survival mode. Yet, we are persistent. We will never give up on our values. We fight for those values every day.

"Sharing examples of editorial principles from the UK and across Armenia helped bring these principles to life, and made the training more effective ... I learned a lot and really appreciated learning best practice. It will be useful now and for the future."

"The main issue is political influence. TV and radio depend on the government for their license. (The government) doesn鈥檛 like to hear the truth. If you do not obey them, you do not get a license. We write on ecology and the environment, but the government doesn鈥檛 like to hear the truth 鈥� so they will do whatever they can to silence it.

"As a media outlet, on a personal level, we must be 100% certain that our facts are correct. If not, we will be the target of attacks to undermine us.

"Twenty years ago, the government wanted the media to like the government, so they worked with them and paid for material from them. Now, the tactic is more brutal. It is about silencing media output. They silence us through the courts and using the law. This is a more hidden method of control."

Meet our partner - Hetq

Hetq has a mission to develop investigative journalism in Armenia. It has a team of investigative reporters with specialisation in corruption, money laundering, economy, environment, mining, trafficking and similar issues. Hetq also works with other newsrooms and media in Armenia to create investigative teams, and to improve their skills in investigative reporting.

"Some of the biggest challenges we face are how to finance ourselves while maintaining our independence 鈥� something we value greatly. Secondly, we struggle to break through to our audience, as there is a huge amount of useless information and tabloid press in the market.

"We try to influence the agenda created by mainstream media, and to draw audience attention to vital political, security and socio-economic questions.

"Finally, there has been a decrease in profits from our entrepreneurial activities and social media advertising, which again, has impacted our finances. We also face legislative restrictions against the media. It is often challenging to get accurate information from state bodies and we are targeted and labelled as 鈥榯abloid press鈥� by the government authorities, which impacts our reputation as an organisation.

"大象传媒shops with 大象传媒 Media Action have focused on the development of professional skills in journalism, which has resulted in an improvement in the quality of Hetq as an investigative media outlet."

European Media Facility in Armenia 鈥� Building a Sustainable and Professional Media is funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development