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The “Region” Research Centre of Armenia, supported by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, today presented the results of a survey on how Armenian journalists use information from social media, the OSCE Office in Yerevan reports.

The survey, conducted from May to June 2014, consisted of interviews with 100 media professionals from print, TV, radio and online media providers and the monitoring of nine mainstream media outlets, including five online and one print, as well as six programmes of three TV channels. The aim was to examine how mainstream media uses social media and to what extent social media impacts the quality of reporting as well as the overall flow of information.

“The findings provided by the “Region” Research Centre give detailed insight into the relationship between traditional and social media in Armenia” said Oliver McCoy, Democratization Programme Officer, OSCE Office in Yerevan. “The information provided demonstrates a progression in the media sector. It is imperative that structural improvements and legislative reforms continue to reflect the OSCE’s commitments.”

The survey shows that when mainstream media use social networks, they get their information 99 per cent of the time from Facebook. Almost all respondents indicated that there is competition between the traditional and social media. Ninety-four per cent of the respondents stated that social media is a source of information with great importance for the public. As to the trustworthiness of social media, only 24 per cent of respondents noted that they do not trust social network sources.

Laura Baghdasaryan, President of the “Region” Research Centre, said: “With this survey, we have made the first attempt to describe in facts and figures the relationship between social networks, the media and traditional media, which are competitive on one side and co-operative on the other. The survey will certainly serve as a valuable reference for media specialists.”

More detailed findings of the survey are available here (in Armenian).