The purpose of this study is to promote the Armenian media’s access to information by:
- summing up journalists’ experience with obtaining information from state agencies since the adoption of the FOI law (since 2003);
- observing how effectively are journalists able to exercise their constitutional right of access to information and the FOI law in their daily work, and how open and transparent are state agencies for the media;
- identifying the current obstacles and challenges affecting the journalists’ right to obtain information (what obstacles do journalists face while trying to obtain information from state agencies and what mechanisms do they use to redress their violated information rights?).
For this purpose, 105 journalists have been interviewed (60 journalists representing Yerevan-based media, 40 journalists representing media operating in the marzes and 4 journalists representing foreign media working in Armenia). This study was compiled by a working group on the basis of the qualitative and quantitative data collected during the interviews. The group also developed special recommendations on how to improve the journalists’ knowledge of FOI and the mechanisms used for implementing the FOI law, as well as to provide a wider protection for the journalists’ right to obtain information. Interviews were conducted and the study was compiled by the Freedom of Information Center.
