ArmInfo.The International Republican Institute conducted a survey among 1200 residents of Armenia in order to find out what changes have occurred in the minds of people after October 2018.
The survey participants evaluated the work of the political, financial, economic sectors, as well as the work of the fields of foreign policy, institutional authority, media independence, etc. The survey was conducted from May 6-31, 2019.
Through several individual questions, the current situation in the media was surveyed. According to 69% of respondents the media in Armenia over the past six months has become more independent, while 5%, on the contrary, recorded a decline in independence.
74% of respondents are convinced that there is progress in the area of freedom of speech, while 18% considered that the situation has not moved from a dead center, and another 6% believe that freedom of speech has, on the contrary, become more limited.
When asked from what sources they receive political information, 81% of respondents said that they receive information through television, 61% also from social networks, 30% through relatives and friends, 27% consider Russian television as their source of information, and only 15% noted the debate. While in October 2018, 66% of survey participants noted that their source of political information is online media. Within six months, this figure fell to 14%.
According to 54% of survey participants, television talk shows are the most influential campaign format, 50% mentioned social networks, 40% - debates, and another 40% consider television advertising as the most successful method of electoral campaign. To get political information, the majority of respondents, in particular, 62% watch the Shant TV channel, 52% - Public Television, the top three are closed by Armenia TV channel, which is watched by 48% of the respondents. Also, the majority of respondents believe that the majority of Armenian media can freely express different political points of view.
The most popular news websites were Azatutyun (36%), News.am (35%), and 1in.am (18%). The leader in social networks is Facebook (83%), followed by Youtube (46%) and Instagram (26%). 2% of respondents use Twitter, and finally 1% use Telegram.