YEREVAN. – If there are any established institutions in Armenia, one of them is media, oppositional Hraparak newspaper editor-in-chief Armine Ohanyan said at “Media and its influence on social-political processes” discussion on Monday. The discussion was organized by the National Press Club and U.S. National Democratic Institute.

According to Ohanyan, freedom of speech is one of the few achievements of Armenia during the years of independence.

“Neither the legislative, nor the executive bodies cooperated for the establishment of media institutions, but hindered it,” Ohanyan said and added that law made media even more vulnerable.

The formulations are so vague that it is difficult to say which publications may cause judicial trial. Moreover, there is a tendency for the statesmen to hide information. Regarding the remarks of non-professionalism of the journalists, the editor-in-chief responded the state agencies to look at themselves and their degree of professionalism.