In the run-up to presidential elections scheduled
for 2003, President Robert Kocharian, who is seeking another term,
muzzled dissenting voices in the press and called for more compliant
media coverage of government policies. As a result, journalists
continued to face criminal prosecution, attacks, and censorship.
Meanwhile, poor economic conditions drove some members of the press to
ignore journalistic standards and sell their skills to the highest
bidder--even if that meant being a mouthpiece for a powerful politician
or businessman.
Continue reading Attacks on the Press 2002: Armenia »
