From 1 to 10 July, 2019, the “Media Advocate” initiative followed online media reports on the RA Minister of Health, Arsen Torosyan’s personality and activities.
35 leading Armenian news agencies have been monitored.
In the specified period, 401 articles were declared, 64 of which were negative, 12 were positive and 325 were neutral.
Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan has been actively discussed in the media field. Positive articles refer to Arsen Torosyan’s help to Chinese tourists: he picked them up. The fact that former Minister of National Assembly Ara Babloyan positively spoke about the Minister’s fight against smoking has also been positively assessed.
Negative articles relate to various issues. First, Arsen Torosyan հas been criticized after his statements on driving licenses. The minister suggested canceling all of the driving licenses and taking a new test for all drivers. Torosyan was mainly proposed to do his job and not go beyond the borders of his field.
The news agencies recalled how Arsen Torosyan was swimming in Lake Sevan last year when the lake had turned green again. He has been criticized for that step. The media asks why Torosyan does not go swimming this year, and if it is dangerous, why does not he make a statement on that matter? It should be noted that after such articles Arsen Torosyan stated that swimming in the green parts of Lake Sevan is dangerous for life.
The Armenian campaign against the Istanbul Convention is also related with Arsen Torosyan’s name. Even “My Step” alliance MPs spoke against the Istanbul Convention. Meanwhile, the society does not perceive this Convention in any way and is mainly against its ratification.
Passions on Arsen Troosyan’s friend Narek Vanesyan do not calm down either. Former director of the National Center for Mental Health Care of the RA Ministry of Health, Narek Vanesyan is again accused of taking bribes.
It turns out that Arsen Torosyan is mainly criticized or praised not for his professional work. In particular, the fact of picking up Chinese tourists, driving license issues, the Istanbul Convention and Narek Vanesyan’s case have nothing to do with professional work.
