Hakobyan Tells Francophonie Delegation That Manipulation and Hate Speech Are Rising in Armenia's Broadcasts

On June 16, Tigran Hakobyan, the Chairman of the Television and Radio Commission, met with representatives of the Francophonie International Organization, Laurent Jimenez and Tankoano Matias, who are in Armenia to observe the upcoming extraordinary parliamentary elections on June 20. This was reported by the Television and Radio Commission.

Hakobyan presented the functions of the Commission, the work being carried out, legislative regulations, as well as the role of the Commission during the extraordinary elections and the methodology for assessing the provision of equal conditions for political forces by broadcasters during the pre-election campaign.

The Chairman noted that there is a growing weight of manipulation and hate speech in broadcasting, while also mentioning legislative gaps that hinder the Commission's effective performance of its functions.

Representatives of the Francophonie delegation expressed their gratitude for the provided information and suggested that the Television and Radio Commission be included in the network regulating the media activities of the Francophonie International Organization. The Chairman of the Commission accepted the proposal.

At the end of the meeting, the delegation members observed the ongoing monitoring process conducted by the Commission.