Artak Aleksanyan is no ordinary journalist. In just three years since his return to Armenia after completing a Muskie fellowship in the US, he not only founded one of Armenia’s most successful TV production companies, but also broke the mold of topics and themes covered by Armenian television.
After 10 years working in Armenia’s state media institutions, Aleksanyan won a 2006 Edmund S. Muskie Fellowship to complete a Masters in Journalism at the University of Utah [8]. While there, he learned more than just the fundamentals of journalism, gaining hands-on business management skills and perspective on the diversity of US and world media production.
“I realized what I can do and [what] I am good at. In 2008, I started my own production company, something I would have never done if I hadn’t gone to the US.” Through his TV company, Banadzev [9], Aleksanyan has uniquely positioned himself as both a businessman and as a facilitator of civic dialogue in Armenia. Most of Banadzev’s programs focus on under-reported public-oriented themes such as corruption and government accountability.
Why was he inspired to focus on these topics? “Because nobody does. There is [both a] huge gap in and public demand for ‘smart’ programs, social content,” says Aleksanyan. “My decision was based on our chances to be successful. To do something that nobody does and to be good at it.”
One of Aleksanyan’s most successful programs is a reality show on youth anti-corruption on Armenian Public TV, entitled Witness: Real Stories [10]. Initially funded by USAID, each episode features a young Armenian and the real-life incidences of corruption that he/she encounters day-to-day. It has since expanded to include other relevant topics such as youth unemployment, safe sex, youth participation in public life, etc.
Given this new reality TV approach, the program’s fresh style, and the diversity of youth featured on the show, Witness has gained widespread recognition from viewers and media professionals alike. In the 18 short months since its first broadcast, the global media research firm AGB Nielsen [11] has rated the show as one of the most successful and most viewed youth TV programs in the country.
In addition to Witness, Banadzev also produces NEWMAG magazine and a range of other public-oriented TV content, such as Breifing: Straight Question [12], a talk show in which public officials respond to questions aimed at government accountability, and Special Report [13], which - as Armenia’s only investigative journalism program - has surpassed popular entertainment programming to become Armenia’s most most-watched Saturday TV program.
Aleksanyan dreams of building his company’s capacity and of finding new studio and newsroom to accommodate Banadzev’s growth, but his dreams extend beyond that of his own company. How does he see his role in Armenia? “Doing my job professionally and serving my country, encouraging youth activism, building more tolerant and transparent society. And last but not least, training new generation of journalists” to carry on this public dialogue into the future.
The Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program [14] is administered by IREX and funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs [15] of the US Department of State.