From October 5 to 9, 2020, “Media Advocate” initiative monitored the publications of 5 leading foreign media outlets to find out how the foreign media covered the actions unleashed by Azerbaijan. The websites of the following media outlets were monitored: “BBC”, “CNN”, “Reuters”, “Associated Press” (AP), and “Deutsche Welle” (DW).
The BBC news agency published 11 articles during the specified monitoring period․ The media outlet referred to the standpoints of the conflicting sides. BBC also prepared a special extensive report on the issue. BBC’s own correspondent Jonah Fisher reports that residents have had to take shelter or flee to neighbouring Armenia amid Azerbaijani shelling of residential areas in the main town Stepanakert.
CNN news agency published 3 extensive articles in the specified monitoring period, in which the balance is kept. In one of its analyses, it is mentioned that Russia is the only country able to stop the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict but it is not clear why it has not done it yet.
As we have mentioned in our previous analyses, Reuters news agency is one of those international news outlets which actively covers the Artsakh conflict. It published 30 articles in the specified monitoring period. It is noteworthy that it published an article on Turkey’s position regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in particularly, mentioning Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin’s statement that “Nagorno-Karabakh truce efforts bound to fail unless Armenia withdraws.”
The Associated Press published 13 articles during the specified monitoring period. The agency presented the views of the conflicting parties in its articles. In certain extensive article it referred to the concern of the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. He, in particularly, voiced concern about Azerbaijan’s determination to continue the fight until Armenia’s withdrawal from the region and a strong expression of support for Azerbaijan from Turkey.
Deutsche Welle news agency published 5 articles in the specified period. In one of its extensive coverages the leading German media outlet stated that 50% of the Nagorno-Karabakh population has been forced to flee amid bombing and fighting and that Armenia accused Azerbaijan of trying to instigate a genocide in the area.
