Media acts as a bridge between political entities and the public, especially during elections. While its role vis-à-vis voters is to provide the information needed to make informed choices, its role vis-à-vis candidates and political parties is to ensure unimpeded access that enables fair competition. Importantly, the media itself should operate with editorial independence, grounded in the principles of freedom of expression.

Ahead of the parliamentary elections in June 2026 in Armenia, the Council of Europe, within the framework of its project “Promoting Freedom of Expression, Media and Access to Information in Armenia”, and the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia organised jointly a Training on Media Coverage of Elections on 28-29 March 2026 in Tsaghkadzor, Armenia.

The training was designed to strengthen resilience in addressing key challenges in election reporting, including disinformation, bias, and unequal media access in line with domestic and European legal standards. Council of Europe recommendations guided the event, in particular  Recommendation CM/Rec(2007)15 of the Committee of Ministers on measures concerning media coverage of elections and Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)12 on electoral communication and media coverage of election campaigns, which set out key principles to ensure fair, balanced, and equitable media coverage throughout electoral periods.

The event brought together around 25 representatives of accredited media outlets from Yerevan and the regions of Armenia who will be covering the upcoming elections, as well as officials from the Central Electoral Commission and the Commission on Television and Radio of Armenia. It provided a valuable platform for dialogue, bringing together diverse perspectives.

Through interactive sessions, case studies, and practical exercises, participants gained a deeper understanding of how to apply respective guidelines in practice. The event strengthened the capacity of media representatives to ensure fair, balanced, and ethical media coverage during elections, supporting transparency, inclusiveness, and the integrity of Armenia’s electoral processes.

The training was also complemented by a Training of Trainers (ToT) session on Media Coverage of Elections held on 27 March, during which  participants were introduced to key training methodologies tailored to the election context.

The event is implemented by the Council of Europe Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan 2023-2026 for Armenia.