YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 16-22, 2012
HIGHLIGHTS:
“PRESS CLUB” TALK SHOW: COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS AND JOURNALISTIC ETHICS
INFORMATION DISPUTES COUNCIL’S OPINION ON SUIT OF BLOGGER TIGRAN KOCHARIAN
VERSUS “CHORRORD INKNISHKHANUTIUN” FOUNDER
“PRESS CLUB” TALK SHOW: COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS AND JOURNALISTIC ETHICS
On November 19, another program of “Press Club” cycle, dealing with
journalistic ethics, went on “Yerkir Media” TV channel. The TV shows’ series
are produced by Yerevan Press Club in the frames of the “Promoting Freedom,
Professionalism and Pluralism of the Media in the South Caucasus and
Moldova” programme, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of
Europe.
The topic of the talk show was the journalistic ethics norms for using
copyrighted materials and was initiated by the Media Ethics Observatory
(). On November 12, 2012, the MEO received a
complaint from architecture-theorist Yeva Sargsian against “Shoghakat” TV
channel. The complainant invoked that in the scripts of its documentary
“Lost Memory” “Shoghakat” had used extracts from some articles about Yerevan
architecture, including the ones written by Yeva Sargsian, without referring
to the source. The TV channel broadcast the documentary on April 26-27 and
May 22-23, 2012. Yeva Sargsian appeared in “Press Club” as one of the
discussants, and her opponent was Ara Galoyan, Program Director of
“Shoghakat”. The experts of the program were Levon Barseghian, Board
Chairman of “Asparez” Journalists Club of Gyumri, Ashot Melikian, Chairman
of Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression, Susanna Nersisian, Director
of “Armauthor” NGO, and lawyer Ara Ghazarian. The experts proposed the
conflict parties to seek reconciliation. YPC President Boris Navasardian
hosted the talk show.
The next “Press Club” will be aired on “Yerkir Media” on Monday, November 26
at 18.00 (rerun – on Saturday, December 1 at 12.50).
Watch “Press Club” of November 19, 2012 here
INFORMATION DISPUTES COUNCIL’S OPINION ON SUIT OF BLOGGER TIGRAN KOCHARIAN
VERSUS “CHORRORD INKNISHKHANUTIUN” FOUNDER
On November 19, Information Disputes Council released an opinion on the
court litigation upon the suit of blogger Tigran Kocharian versus the
founder of “Chorrord Inknishkhanutiun” daily, “Trespassers W.” LLC. As we
have reported, the hearings on the case started on September 24, 2012 at
the Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative
Districts of Yerevan. The subject of the litigation was the piece “Fascist
and Elephant: Save the Elephants”, published in “Chorrord Inknishkhanutiun”
on July 13, 2012. The piece contained critics about Tigran Kocharian, whose
Internet nickname is “Elephant”. The plaintiff demanded refutation and
awards in the amount of 3,500,000 AMD (about $ 8,600), from which 3 million
AMD as moral damage, caused by libel and insult, and 500,000 AMD – attorney
fees (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, November 2-8, 2012).
The Information Disputes Council noted that even though the court case is
still pending, the parties continue accusing each other by using the media
and other platforms, putting the contents of the disputed article as a
subject for public debate. Taking into account that the piece does not raise
any issue of public significance, but only includes thoughts and comments of
personal nature, there is no public interest of receiving information about
the court proceedings, the IDC stressed. The IDC called on the conflicting
parties to limit by finding remedies of the dispute at the courtroom, to
show their good will and refrain from imparting redundant publicity to the
case before the proceedings end. In its turn, the IDC abstained from
providing opinion about the subject matter of the dispute, since the case is
still ongoing, no court act has been adopted, while outside the courtroom
the discussions about the conflict are exacerbating.
The opinion of the Information Disputes Council is available in Armenian and
in English at
When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.
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Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
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