Key Insights and Strategic Recommendations for Strengthening Media Resilience in Armenia

Baltic Centre for Media Excellence (BCME), in partnership with the Media Initiative Center (MIC) has released the Armenian Media Vulnerabilities Report 2025.

This publication is part of a broader programme aimed at strengthening the resilience of Armenia’s independent media in the face of increasing hybrid threats.

Why This Report Matters

Drawing on expert interviews and a structured self-assessment survey involving  national and regional media outlets, the report offers an in-depth analysis of the most pressing vulnerabilities in Armenia’s independent media sector.

It focuses on 12 critical areas of risk, including:

  • Digital and cybersecurity weaknesses
  • Gaps in organizational security and crisis preparedness
  • Financial instability 
  • Journalist safety and psychological well-being
  • Lack of formal procedures for source protection, editorial ethics, and reputational defense

Key Takeaways

  • Multiple critical vulnerabilities: Armenian media outlets face a range of threats to their organizational security—encompassing digital and cybersecurity risks—along with challenges to financial stability, journalist well-being, and the ability to effectively manage crises, protect their reputation, and ensure operational continuity.
  • Short-term survival over long-term resilience: Immediate operational pressures—both financial and political—are preventing media outlets from engaging in strategic, long-term planning.
  • Lack of internal capacity: Due to insufficient resources and staff to oversee processes from planning to implementation, many organizations lack the necessary strategies and procedures, which could otherwise be regularly tested, drilled, and updated in response to evolving circumstances and lessons learned.
  • Increased risk amid geopolitical instability: Without proactive, tailored interventions, the integrity and operational continuity of independent journalism in Armenia may face new tremors as the region experiences ongoing challenges.

Strategic Recommendations

To address these challenges, the report provides clear, actionable recommendations for donors, media development actors, and policymakers.

These focus on five priority areas:

  1. Digital and cybersecurity – investing in audits, secure tools, and continuous training
  2. Organizational security and crisis preparedness – enhancing relocation readiness, risk assessment, and operational continuity
  3. Journalist safety and well-being – equipping media workers with protective gear, trauma support, and legal aid
  4. Financial and operational stability – encouraging diversification, audits, and emergency planning
  5. Ethical and editorial integrity – strengthening policies around conflicts of interest, AI use, and online platform moderation strategies

The report also highlights the willingness of Armenian media to collaborate, share best practices, and lead peer-to-peer initiatives that build sector-wide resilience.