WHAT IS POPULAR IN MASS MEDIA?

[MosJan]

WHAT IS POPULAR IN MASS MEDIA?

Many processes that took place in Armenia during the ten years of independence influenced the local mass media immensely. The freedom of mass media and freedom of speech gained new meaning in Armenia. Today Armenian residents can chose among huge variety of TV channels, radio broadcasts and newspapers. The supply is of course great, but does it fit the needs of the audience- this is the question now.

 

 

For finding out an answer to this question the Public Opinion Research Center of the Information and publication department under Armenian government carries out surveys every three months. The results of the polls are being announced at the ‘Opinion’ program of the national radio channel, and according to the needs and wishes of the audience the programs of TV and radio are being changed or replaced. The polls are being carried out in Yerevan and the provinces. The surveys aiming to find out opinions of people about mass media are important because the mass media are working for wide masses of society, and if they do not meet the demands of people they will have no audience.

 

 

The research carried out by the Public Opinion Research Center gives the following interesting details. According to the center big popularity enjoy entertainment weeklies- Eter, Efir, TV channel, 02- i.e. which contain interesting news, crosswords, shocking criminal stories, anecdotes, humor. Newspapers containing political, economic and cultural news are moved to the background. So the daily newspapers are on the second place. Most readable dailies in Armenia are Aravot (39,4%), Daily Azg (32,4%), Hayastani Hanrapetutyun (29,4%), Hayots Ashkharh (24%). The fifth in the top list is Daily Erkir.

 

 

The majority of the respondents (90,1%) said that they watch TV as a source of information, 48% pointed out radio, and only 26,4 said they read newspapers. It is clear form the poll that most part of the population receives political, cultural and other information via TV broadcasts. In frontier communities TV is the best and cheapest way of receiving information.

 

 

Among the news broadcasts on TV the most popular ones are the public channel’s “Haylur’ program (77,2%), second comes ‘Lraber’ news program of Prometheus channel. Third is ‘Orakarg’ informational-analytic program, the audience of which is 47 percent. Interesting is the fact that many respondents said they watch the programs but are not sure in the objectivity of the news. The research showed that soap operas also enjoy big popularity.

 

 

Reporters of different TV channels, radio and newspapers were also surveyed on this issue. Most of them watch TV (88,7%), second information source for the mass media workers is press (78,4%) and third is radio (35,9%).

 

 

By Marlena Hovsepian

 

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