This report, commissioned by the Council of Europe’s Information Society Department, Division for Co-operation on Freedom of Expression, presents an update of the 2019 “Armenian Media Sector Needs Assessment – Overview of the National Legislative Framework Covering Media Freedom; Freedom of Expression; and Public Service Media and its Compliance with Council of Europe standards” (hereinafter: 2019 Assessment Report).

The 2022 Update Report provides an overview of the legal and institutional framework as well as institutional and resource capacities in the media sector in Armenia, specifically with regards to its compliance with international standards, and in particular those set by the Council of Europe and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and takes stock of changes and developments since 2019. Specific attention is given to issues related to media governance; public service media; transparency of media ownership; self-regulation; quality of journalism; and combating hate speech and dis-/misinformation. Gender aspects have been incorporated across all vectors of inquiry.

The report was prepared using a human rights-based approach, and which involved 22 dutybearers and rights-holders, using semi-structured discussion formats which followed thorough desk analysis of relevant documentation that reflected a wide variety of perspectives and sources. The stakeholder discussions focused on a) capturing developments in the sector since 2019; and on b) identifying technical assistance needs that could be met through a potential cooperation project under the upcoming Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia (2023-2026), and for which this report would serve as the basis and baseline value holder.  

The Report was prepared by Council of Europe Experts Dr Krisztina Rozgonyi and Shushan Doydoyan.

 Armenia’s Media Sector Needs Assessment (2022) – English

 Armenia’s Media Sector Needs Assessment (2022) – Armenian