Epress.am News from Armenia
Asparez Journalists’ Club Chair Levon Barseghyan sent a query to Armenia’s National Commission on Television and Radio (NCTR), asking for clarification on the meaning of the terms “national leader,” “moral norms,” “immoral lifestyle” and “romanticization of a criminal lifestyle.”
The NCTR had used these terms in it decision on broadcast standards having a possible negative impact. For example, those broadcasts that have a possible negative influence on minors are those that belittle and discredit the national church and the values it promotes; deny moral norms and preach an immoral lifestyle; discredit and belittle national leaders; and contribute to the spread of the manners, actions and way of speaking of the criminal underworld in society, and the romanticization of criminals and a criminal lifestyle.”
During the “Media in Armenia: 2010 Reflections and Trends for the Future” conference in Yerevan on Jan. 27, Barseghyan said that it was noted in the NCTR’s response that they have no definitions for these terms.
The need for his query Barseghyan explained by the fact that editors and journalists working in Armenia should know that at any time their publican can be found in violation of these norms.