Media Market Analysis: Armenia
"●The Armenian media market is defined by diversity, polarization and the struggle between financial stability and editorial independence.
● Greater understanding of Armenian media audiences and where they can be reached will strengthen independent media’s ability to achieve impact. The transition to digital media has further fragmented the audience, primarily cleaving it into a younger, digital-focused audience and an older audience still largely dependent on TV. Facebook is far and away the dominant platform for media and news engagement. YouTube, Instagram and particularly Telegram are growing in popularity as key platforms. Print media consumption has declined significantly, while the extensive network of regional media and the fragmented diaspora media ecosystem struggle to capitalize on their theoretical audience potential.
● Identifying effective financial sustainability models must be prioritized if outlets are to operate more strategically and maintain their editorial independence. Independent media outlets struggle to establish longer-term viability as they are at the mercy of project-based donor funding, a volatile and fickle advertising market and politically aligned private backers. Consequently, the most accessible outes to financial sustainability often clash with the core goals and ethos of independent media as they require sacrificing a degree of editorial independence. This can take the form of either compliance with a political bias or the thematic priorities of international donors, which may or may not align with the thematic priorities of Armenian audiences. The general absence of core institutional support from these donors leaves these outlets vulnerable, as their financial stability is often tied to the success of individual initiatives rather than long-term structural backing. According to those interviewed, advertisers are increasingly looking to work directly with media platforms and individuals, entertainment-focused influencers, while tightened regulation around gambling advertisement has negatively impacted the revenue of a broad spectrum of media outlets (these companies were frequent advertisers on news sites). Additionally, Armenian media consumers are largely unwilling to spend money on media content without clear added value, and even with added value the ceiling for contributions appears to be low.
● Developing an understanding of how to build trust with audiences, avoid or be resilient to politicization, and facilitating positive attitudes toward media freedom will be essential for the health of both individual outlets and the media ecosystem. Polarization, declining levels of trust, and increasing doubts over press freedom are concerning trends across the entirety of the Armenian information ecosystem. Foreign and domestic disinformation compound an existing crisis of trust in the media among Armenian audiences, who perceive a near-total lack of objective information and reporting. Reliance on person-to-person networks for information sharing exacerbates echo chambers within Armenian society and prioritizes personal trust in a way that poses a challenge for independent media. The Armenian media ecosystem reflects the intense political polarization that exists in society at large, while independent outlets also regularly fall victim to often undue public criticism by aggrieved political actors. As a result, audience perceptions of media freedom in Armenia appear to be becoming more negative than the relatively positive picture presented by international indices." (Executive summary, pages 3-4)
● Greater understanding of Armenian media audiences and where they can be reached will strengthen independent media’s ability to achieve impact. The transition to digital media has further fragmented the audience, primarily cleaving it into a younger, digital-focused audience and an older audience still largely dependent on TV. Facebook is far and away the dominant platform for media and news engagement. YouTube, Instagram and particularly Telegram are growing in popularity as key platforms. Print media consumption has declined significantly, while the extensive network of regional media and the fragmented diaspora media ecosystem struggle to capitalize on their theoretical audience potential.
● Identifying effective financial sustainability models must be prioritized if outlets are to operate more strategically and maintain their editorial independence. Independent media outlets struggle to establish longer-term viability as they are at the mercy of project-based donor funding, a volatile and fickle advertising market and politically aligned private backers. Consequently, the most accessible outes to financial sustainability often clash with the core goals and ethos of independent media as they require sacrificing a degree of editorial independence. This can take the form of either compliance with a political bias or the thematic priorities of international donors, which may or may not align with the thematic priorities of Armenian audiences. The general absence of core institutional support from these donors leaves these outlets vulnerable, as their financial stability is often tied to the success of individual initiatives rather than long-term structural backing. According to those interviewed, advertisers are increasingly looking to work directly with media platforms and individuals, entertainment-focused influencers, while tightened regulation around gambling advertisement has negatively impacted the revenue of a broad spectrum of media outlets (these companies were frequent advertisers on news sites). Additionally, Armenian media consumers are largely unwilling to spend money on media content without clear added value, and even with added value the ceiling for contributions appears to be low.
● Developing an understanding of how to build trust with audiences, avoid or be resilient to politicization, and facilitating positive attitudes toward media freedom will be essential for the health of both individual outlets and the media ecosystem. Polarization, declining levels of trust, and increasing doubts over press freedom are concerning trends across the entirety of the Armenian information ecosystem. Foreign and domestic disinformation compound an existing crisis of trust in the media among Armenian audiences, who perceive a near-total lack of objective information and reporting. Reliance on person-to-person networks for information sharing exacerbates echo chambers within Armenian society and prioritizes personal trust in a way that poses a challenge for independent media. The Armenian media ecosystem reflects the intense political polarization that exists in society at large, while independent outlets also regularly fall victim to often undue public criticism by aggrieved political actors. As a result, audience perceptions of media freedom in Armenia appear to be becoming more negative than the relatively positive picture presented by international indices." (Executive summary, pages 3-4)
