NATIONAL PRESS CLUB OPPOSED TO MASS MEDIA BILL
Support A1+!National Press Club’s Chair Narine Mkrtchyan said Wednesday that the club is going to issue a statement signed by dozens of journalists opposing the Mass Media Bill proposed by Justice Ministry, in particular, enforcement of strict censorship specified in it.
Mkrtchyan said the bill doesn’t correspond to international standards. In her words, those organizations in favor of the bill don’t secure journalists rights and have become a tool in the hand of the authorities obviously dancing to the government’s tune.
Bill Press Club’s members have proposed Press Freedom Bill as an alternative to the ministry-prepared legislation. After mulling the alternative bill the government made a conclusion saying there were shortcomings in it.
The Press Freedom Bill authors are ready to make changes in their draft taking into account 8 of the government’s 12 critical remarks. If so, the executive authorities will be left with no option but to approve their bill, Narine Mcrtchyan said.
