"In Armenia, it is possible to freely express your opinions without fear": USAID study
Freedom of speech in Armenia
Armenian citizens believe that the country enjoys a high level of freedom of speech, both in society and in the media. The U.S. Agency for International Development has published the results of its annual study on freedom of speech and media consumption in Armenia.
According to it, 75% of respondents assess the level of freedom of speech in society as fully or partially free, while this figure stands at 72% when it comes to the media.
The number of people who believe that the authorities and relevant institutions in Armenia effectively protect the freedom of speech of both media outlets and individuals has increased in 2024 by 8% compared to the previous year.
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“People can freely express their opinions on both the government and the opposition”
The USAID study was conducted using a mixed methodology. A total of 1,106 people aged 18 and older participated in the surveys. Additionally, focus group discussions were organized. Most study participants defined freedom of speech as “the ability to express one’s opinion without fear of consequences.”
“They believe that in Armenia, both individuals and journalists can freely express their opinions on both the government and the opposition without fear of repercussions,” according to the results of the survey and focus group discussions.
44% are satisfied with journalists’ professionalism
The level of professionalism among journalists and the ethical standards of their materials remains at 44%, the same as in 2023.
Respondents who expressed dissatisfaction were primarily urban residents, particularly those from Yerevan. Researchers attribute this to the higher level of media consumption and control in the capital.
The most popular media sources among respondents are Armenian television channels (80%) and news websites (73%), followed by blogs, video blogs, and podcasts (48%).
According to the study, people primarily access websites through social media platforms. Among social platforms, YouTube is the most popular (81%), followed by Facebook (77%). Compared to last year, interest in Instagram has grown significantly – from 42% to 52%.
In terms of popularity, blogs, video blogs, and podcasts (48%) follow television channels and websites.
Respondents outraged by “abuse of freedom of speech”
Respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that some journalists may “publish misleading stories for the sake of likes.” They negatively assessed such manipulative content, emphasizing that its authors are not held accountable.
According to the study, the audience is outraged that “offensive and inappropriate statements are justified by freedom of speech.”
In the opinion of the respondents, the lowest level of freedom of speech in the Armenian media is observed in newspapers. They consider blogs, video blogs, podcasts, and news websites to be “completely free” or “relatively free.”
Respondents demand “respect for society and human rights”
Survey participants also indicated the principles that the media should follow in their work.
The most important principle for them is “respect for society and human rights” (45%), followed by “impartiality and honesty” (37%).
However, respondents believe that these principles are the ones most frequently violated in Armenian media.
Another significant issue for 80% of the participants is hate speech. The majority (66%) think that such language is most commonly encountered in the online segment of social media.
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Freedom of speech in Armenia
