The main topics circulating in media and social networks often do not align with the real concerns of society. This was stated by political analyst Stepan Grigoryan, referring to a recent study conducted with Lithuanian partners. According to him, the sentiments reflected in media and social networks are noticeably disconnected from those recorded in sociological surveys.
Two different realities
According to Grigoryan, recent sociological surveys, particularly those conducted by the International Republican Institute, show that Armenian citizens are primarily concerned with socio-economic issues. These include rising prices, pensions, government economic policy, and the effectiveness of implemented programs.
These issues, he notes, concern at least 30–35 percent of society and form the core of public demand.
At the same time, media and social platforms are dominated by other topics — the Karabakh issue, security challenges, and discussions around territorial concessions. Grigoryan points out that this agenda is often presented as dominant, even though it does not reflect the actual sentiments of society.
Formation of artificial agendas
According to the political analyst, this mismatch is also driven by the activities of certain political forces and media outlets associated with them. In particular, he notes that pro-Russian opposition circles, using their influence in the media sphere, contribute to the formation of partially artificial agendas.
These agendas, in his view, often do not stem from the real concerns of broad segments of society and may divert public attention from priority issues, especially during the election period.
A key challenge for the election campaign
Grigoryan emphasizes the importance of addressing this issue during the upcoming electoral processes. In his view, both media and political actors must focus on issues that are genuinely important to society during the campaign.
He notes that the effectiveness of election debates depends on how adequately socio-economic and other key public issues are reflected, rather than solely politically constructed topics.