Media Coverage of Agriculture in Armenia Institutional Barriers, Resource Constraints, and Information Gaps

Abstract

The agricultural information ecosystem in Armenia faces significant structural challenges that limit the availability and accessibility of
reliable information for rural communities. This study examines the institutional, professional, and informational barriers that shape
agricultural journalism and influence the flow of agricultural knowledge to farmers. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines qualitative interviews with agricultural journalists, investigative reporters, media founders, and farming entrepreneurs with a survey of farmers from multiple regions of Armenia assessing their access to and use of agricultural information.
The qualitative analysis identifies five interconnected barriers affecting agricultural media coverage: the erosion of institutional support mechanisms, political agenda-setting that marginalizes rural issues, chronic resource scarcity within media organizations, restricted access to governmental agricultural data, and the limited availability of specialized agricultural journalism expertise. Complementary findings from the farmer survey reveal significant gaps between the information needs of rural producers and the content currently provided by media outlets. While farmers actively seek agricultural information and often share knowledge within their communities, they report uneven access to reliable and practical guidance.
The study demonstrates that the limitations of agricultural journalism in Armenia extend beyond economic constraints and reflect broader institutional and policy-level failures in the agricultural information system. Addressing these challenges requires systemic intervention, including strengthening institutional support for agricultural reporting, improving access to public agricultural data, developing specialized journalistic capacity, and supporting sustainable media coverage of rural and agricultural issues.