Epress.am News from Armenia
US Ambassador to Armenia John A. Heffern hopes that Hetq Online, published by the Investigative Journalists NGO, won't shut down. "Armenia needs independent investigative journalism," he tweeted on Monday.
Hetq Online Editor-in-Chief Edik Baghdasaryan yesterday wrote on his Facebook page that he intends to leave the journalism sector. He wrote:
"It has become every official's sacred duty to have at least one news website. Lfik [a nickname for MP Samvel Aleksanyan], who works as a MP on the side, has opened two [websites] at once. I have been pondering shutting down Hetq for quite some time… It seems we no longer have either a place or a task to do in the media sector. But we have a few investigative pieces in process — we have to conclude them. With one of these, we’ll show how the authorities were able to eradicate the media sector. What projects were implemented in the past and what 26 Baghramyan [Ave., the president’s residence] is doing now. Which news outlet's which journalist, say, toes the prime minister's line, which toes the police chief's line… which oligarch pays how much to which news outlet. Who are the true owners of TV companies. How are state officials and oligarchs managing their relationships with editors and individual journalists. How did the advertising sector become monopolized, who is the main player in this? And farewell to Armenia's media sector."