Armenia protests highlight role of independent journalists
Utilising social media, independent journalists were able to offer an unprecedented counter-narrative to Armenia’s state-run media.
When opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan instigated protests against the appointment of Serzh Sargsyan two weeks ago, few saw the seismic shift in Armenian politics coming.
But independent news outlets were ready to challenge the state-run media narrative and, although small, their potent use of social media for reporting brought iconic images and reporting to the public.
Sargsyan has now stepped down and Pashinyan is pushing to become prime minister. But the political crisis is not over and Armenia‘s independent journalists are already preparing for the parliament’s vote on a new prime minister on Tuesday.
Al Jazeera’s Natasha Ghoneim reports from Yerevan.