«Ամրապնդել կամուրջը համայնքի և Հայրենիքի միջև» - Հարցազրույց Շահան ՔԱՆԴԱՀԱՐՅԱՆԻ հետ

The article, published on ashkhar.org in issue No. 5 (20), is devoted to an interview with Shahan Kandaharian, editor-in-chief of the Beirut daily newspaper "Aztag," on the history, current state, and tasks of the Armenian press in Lebanon.

History and status of the publication

The conversation traces the evolution of the newspaper "Aztag": founded in 1927 as a publication appearing once every three days, it soon became a daily, and since 1969 it has held the status of the official organ of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun in Lebanon. The volume of the newspaper gradually increased — from eight to ten pages — while the appearance of an electronic version expanded its audience to include former Lebanese Armenians who emigrated during the years of the civil war.

Role in consolidating the Armenian press

A significant part of the interview is devoted to the coordinating function of the editorial office:

organizing regular (at least once a month) meetings of representatives of Armenian media in Lebanon;
discussing key topics — the role of the press, the interaction between the Spyurk and Armenia in the information space;
cooperation with the newspaper "Yerkir" and other party publications of the Spyurk.

Economic situation and staffing problems

Kandaharian notes that the newspaper survives on advertising and paid announcements, with a circulation of about 3,200 copies, part of which is distributed among the Syrian Armenian communities. Special emphasis is placed on the vulnerability of staffing: the political and economic crisis in Lebanon is forcing young professionals to leave, which weakens the editorial team despite its openness and non-partisan content.

Tasks in working with youth

Particular attention is given to the problem of retaining a young Armenian-speaking audience. The key thesis of the interview is that the content of the youth supplement should be shaped together with the youth themselves, rather than imposed from above — only in this way will national themes be perceived organically.

The newspaper's place in the regional and global context

Kandaharian points to the publication's dual mission — to inform the Armenian reader about events in Lebanon and the Middle East (the Armenian Genocide, Turkish-American relations) and to present the Armenian agenda to the non-loyal reader. Separately, he identifies the problem of weak ties with the "new Spyurk" — the Armenian diasporas of Russia, the USA, and Europe, reaching which requires different linguistic and organizational resources.

Conclusion

The main conclusion of the interview is that "Aztag," having remained the only daily Armenian newspaper in Lebanon, has acquired national significance and sees its mission in strengthening the "bridge between the community and the Homeland" — through the delicate but consistent development of national self-awareness and ties with contemporary Armenia.