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The Role of News Media and Social Networks in Shaping Armenian Society: What Must Change and What We Must Strive For

The Role of News Media and Social Networks in Shaping Armenian Society: What Must Change and What We Must Strive For By Lida Nalbandyan, Founder & CEO of Octopus Media Group

Our blog is the home of deep analysis and timely commentary. Here, our editors, researchers, and guest experts explore Armenia’s most pressing social and political issues — beyond the daily headlines.

Topics include:

Electoral trends and predictions

Opinion breakdowns by region or demographic

Case studies of information warfare in media

Behind-the-scenes of public polling projects

Stories from the field: researchers' insights

Data storytelling using visuals and charts

Whether you’re a policymaker, journalist, academic, or citizen — this is where critical thinking meets real data.

Who Lost Artsakh? Three Presidents, One Country, and the Long Shadow of Earlier Choices

When a nation asks “why are we here,” it rarely gets a single answer. Armenia has three — one for each former president. None of them is comfortable. By Lida Nalbandyan, Founder and CEO of Octopus Media Group

12.11.2025

Armenia’s Parliamentary Election: Who’s Ready, Who Has a Chance, and What “Quiet Voters” Will Decide

Before elections, a country often feels like a home under renovation: fresh paint on the walls, old wiring behind them. People don’t ask “who wins,” they ask “will the lights work tomorrow?” By Lida Nalbandyan, Founder and CEO of Octopus Media Group

27.10.2025

When They Detain a Mayor”: What Vardan Ghukasyan’s Arrest Means for Gyumri — and for Armenia

I’m not a court. My job is to separate what we know from what we don’t, and to read the signals this sends. By Lida Nalbandyan, Founder and CEO of Octopus Media Group

21.10.2025

Armenia’s Judiciary: How It Should Work, Why It Fails, and How to Fix It

Armenia’s judiciary is a three-tier system (trial, appellate, cassation). The Constitution guarantees separation of powers and judicial independence. Pre-trial detention is a last resort; due process and adversarial procedure are the backbone. By Lida Nalbandyan, Founder and CEO of Octopus Media Group

13.10.2025

Two Armenian Billionaires Behind Bars and a Jailed Archbishop: A State Under Stress — and a Way Out

It is rare to see billionaires jailed. Rarer still to see two Armenians among them. By Lida Nalbandyan, Founder and CEO of Octopus Media Group

07.10.2025

Armenian Opposition: Decay, Stagnation, and Pashinyan’s Hidden Advantage

The Armenian opposition today is not a force of change, but a force of decay. By Lida Nalbandyan, Founder and CEO of Octopus Media Group

19.09.2025

Armenia After Peace: Window of Opportunity or Asymmetry Trap?

A peace treaty with Azerbaijan is not just a legal text. It is a strategic choice that sets Armenia’s trajectory for a decade. Below is a clear-eyed assessment of what Armenia gains with peace, the risks hidden in the fine print, and the cost of a no-deal. By Lida Nalbandyan, Founder and CEO of Octopus Media Group

15.09.2025

Samvel Karapetyan’s “New Force”: A National Reset — or Just Another Elite Project?

The announcement that Samvel Karapetyan’s team will prepare for parliamentary elections has re-shaped Armenia’s political field. By Lida Nalbandyan, Founder and CEO of Octopus Media Group

31.08.2025

Samvel Karapetyan: Two Months After the Arrest. Court, Assets, and a New Political Landscape

It has been two months since prominent Armenian businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan was arrested. Tomorrow a court will decide whether to extend his detention or replace it with a softer measure. By Lida Nalbandyan, Founder and CEO of Octopus Media Group

13.08.2025

Washington 2025: What Could Pashinyan and Aliyev Sign with Trump’s Mediation — and What It Means for Armenia

OCTOPUS MEDIA GROUP LLC

Blog

Explore Ideas, Debates & Data

The Role of News Media and Social Networks in Shaping Armenian Society: What Must Change and What We Must Strive For

Our blog is the home of deep analysis and timely commentary. Here, our editors, researchers, and guest experts explore Armenia’s most pressing social and political issues — beyond the daily headlines.

Topics include:

Electoral trends and predictions

Who Lost Artsakh? Three Presidents, One Country, and the Long Shadow of Earlier Choices

Armenia’s Parliamentary Election: Who’s Ready, Who Has a Chance, and What “Quiet Voters” Will Decide

When They Detain a Mayor”: What Vardan Ghukasyan’s Arrest Means for Gyumri — and for Armenia

Armenia’s Judiciary: How It Should Work, Why It Fails, and How to Fix It

Two Armenian Billionaires Behind Bars and a Jailed Archbishop: A State Under Stress — and a Way Out

Armenian Opposition: Decay, Stagnation, and Pashinyan’s Hidden Advantage

Armenia After Peace: Window of Opportunity or Asymmetry Trap?

Samvel Karapetyan’s “New Force”: A National Reset — or Just Another Elite Project?

Samvel Karapetyan: Two Months After the Arrest. Court, Assets, and a New Political Landscape

Washington 2025: What Could Pashinyan and Aliyev Sign with Trump’s Mediation — and What It Means for Armenia

Religious Sects in Armenia: Who Is to Blame and How to Stop Them?

Armenia 2026: What Happens If Nikol Pashinyan Remains in Power?

Who Lost Artsakh? Three Presidents, One Country, and the Long Shadow of Earlier Choices

Armenia’s Parliamentary Election: Who’s Ready, Who Has a Chance, and What “Quiet Voters” Will Decide

When They Detain a Mayor”: What Vardan Ghukasyan’s Arrest Means for Gyumri — and for Armenia

Armenia’s Judiciary: How It Should Work, Why It Fails, and How to Fix It

Two Armenian Billionaires Behind Bars and a Jailed Archbishop: A State Under Stress — and a Way Out

Armenian Opposition: Decay, Stagnation, and Pashinyan’s Hidden Advantage

Armenia After Peace: Window of Opportunity or Asymmetry Trap?

Samvel Karapetyan’s “New Force”: A National Reset — or Just Another Elite Project?

Samvel Karapetyan: Two Months After the Arrest. Court, Assets, and a New Political Landscape

Washington 2025: What Could Pashinyan and Aliyev Sign with Trump’s Mediation — and What It Means for Armenia