TAP - The Armenia Project

12/10/2026

From COP17 to COPY: Making the Pitch 🌿

The Armenia Project and Media Initiatives Center organized a two-day workshop in Yerevan, “From COP17 to COPY: Making the Pitch,” led by The New York Times science writer Erik Niller.

The workshop focused on finding strong story angles, pitching them to editors, and bringing Armenia’s environmental stories to a global audience.

Niller also invited several guest speakers to share their expertise online, including Jo McGinty, former science bureau chief at The Wall Street Journal; Ed Ballard, climate and energy reporter at The Wall Street Journal; and Chico Harlan, global climate correspondent at The New York Times
Participants discussed environmental issues in Armenia, shared their previous work, and pitched new story ideas to the guest speakers, some of which could be published internationally.

05/10/2026

Join TAP and the Media Initiatives Center for a two-day practical workshop with Eric Niiler, Science/Climate Writer at The New York Times, on finding, developing and pitching stories beyond Armenia.

📅 October 8-9
📍 Media Initiatives Center
⏰ 10:00-15:00

🌱 How to Find, Report and Pitch the Stories Behind COP-17
Workshop for Local Journalists

Join Eric Niiler, Science/Climate Writer at The New York Times, for a two-day practical workshop on developing and pitching stories for international media outlets. The workshop is organised by The Armenian Project (TAP) and the Media Initiatives Centre (MIC) as part of the From COP to COPY: Beyond the Blue Zone workshop series.

The workshop will take a close look at the story pitch: How do you turn an idea into a compelling story? What makes a story newsworthy? How do you identify the strongest angle? And how do you pitch it effectively to an international editor?

Participants will work with their own story ideas and receive practical guidance from Eric on sharpening them, identifying relevance beyond Armenia, and presenting them in a way that attracts the attention of international news organisations.

The workshop is designed for a mix of journalism students, early-career journalists, and experienced reporters. Participants will have the opportunity to learn from one another and benefit from different levels of newsroom experience.

If you have a story idea you've been thinking about, please bring it with you.

📅 October 8 and 9
📍 Media Initiatives Center
🕐 10:00 - 15:00

Workshop leader:
Eric Niiler
Science/Climate Writer, The New York Times

Open to: Journalism students, early-career journalists, and professional reporters only.

Please note: English proficiency is required, as it will be the working language of the workshop.

To participate, please fill out the online form by October 6: https://shorturl.at/mjQDY

TAP - The Armenia Project

03/10/2026

With biodiversity COP17 coming to Armenia, the question is not only what happens inside the Blue Zone, but how Armenia tells its own environmental story beyond it.

The Armenia Project and Media Initiatives Center brought together local journalists and journalism students for a two-day workshop, “From COP to COPY: Beyond the Blue Zone,” led by international climate and sustainability editors Philippa Nuttall of Sustainable Views (Financial Times) and Michael Kodas of Inside Climate News.

Through conversations, ideas, and practical tips, participants explored what makes a biodiversity story compelling, how to find a strong angle, and how reporting from Armenia can resonate with audiences both at home and around the world.

They also looked at the growing role of digital media and photography in environmental journalism, as well as the sensitivities and challenges that can come with covering climate and biodiversity.

The COP17 workshop series continues in October with science and climate journalist Eric Niiler of The New York Times who will work with journalists and journalism students to develop compelling story ideas and pitches for both local and international media.

COP is more than a conference. It’s an opportunity for Armenia’s journalists to bring the country’s biodiversity, climate challenges, and ideas to a much wider audience.

28/09/2026

📰 Happy World News Day!

Today we celebrate fact-based journalism and media literacy. And we thank the newsrooms and journalists who make it possible, including our media partners EVN Report, CIVILNET, Հետք լրատվական | Hetq Media, Urbanista, Mathew Zein.

And especially our TAP 2026 international journalism internship cohort , .jstephenson, janjan l., , Nicholas Castillo, Antonio Reis, .

27/09/2026

📰 From Headlines to Hashtags: Who Really Shapes Public Opinion?

At the Concordia Summit, TAP co-founder and Board Member Tatiana Der Avedissian moderated a conversation with Gerard Ryle, Jenna Lee, Mark Halperin and Kat Rosenfield on trust in journalism, influencers, algorithms and AI.

The panel explored who shapes public opinion in today’s media landscape, with Rosenfield pointing to the “attention economy,” Lee stressing the need not to “rob” audiences of their liberty, and Halperin saying “it’s really going to be up to citizens who want to be well informed.”

26/09/2026

How much leverage does Russia still hold over Armenia?

TAP International Journalism internship alum Nicholas Castillo examines Armenia’s growing economic pressure from Russia in his latest article for The Moscow Times

From restrictions on Armenian agricultural exports to Russia’s influence over Armenia’s gas supply, Nicholas looks at what the coming months could mean for the country’s economy and its changing relationship with Moscow.

Read the full story in our comments.

22/09/2026

Why are students from India, Russia, Lebanon and elsewhere choosing Armenia for their studies?

In his latest article for CivilNet, TAP intern Anton Geissler looks at what is drawing students to Armenia, from lower tuition costs and easier admission to family ties and political circumstances in their home countries.

Meanwhile, Armenia aims to nearly double its international student population to 15,000 by 2031, while creating at least 50 foreign-language university programs.

But attracting more students is only part of the challenge. Language barriers, outdated courses and limited teaching capacity could stand in the way of Armenia’s ambitions.

Read Anton's full story by clicking the link in the comments.

19/09/2026

In his latest article for CivilNet, TAP intern Antonio Reis looks at the logistical barriers facing Armenian exporters, from closed borders and limited rail connections to the high cost of transporting perishable goods.

As Russia restricts certain Armenian imports, the EU offers an important alternative market. But for Armenian producers, reaching European consumers still means navigating costly and complicated transport routes.

Read Antonio’s full story by clicking the link in the comments.

18/09/2026

What does it take to build a life in a new country when the system isn’t built to protect you?

In his article for CivilNet, TAP intern Jan Limburski speaks with two migrant workers, Alaa and Masoud, from Egypt and Iran about why they came to Armenia and the jobs they found. He also looks at the challenges they face navigating work and residence permits.
For Alaa from Egypt, delivery work meant walking 30 kilometers a day in the cold. Today, he works independently and hopes to stay in Armenia indefinitely.

Masoud came from Iran to support his family back home. Working on construction sites, he earns just a fraction of what his contractor receives and has no written contract.
Both have found a sense of belonging in Armenia. But their experiences also reveal the challenges that can come with building a life here.

Read the full story by clicking the link in the comments.

11/09/2026

🐟 Could Armenian fish be headed for European markets?

TAP intern Antonio Reis explores what the EU’s new trade measure could mean for Armenia’s fish farmers in his first article for CivilNet.

The EU has proposed suspending import duties on Armenian fish for two years. That could open a new market at a crucial time, after Russia banned imports earlier this year.

But there’s still work to do. Fish producers need to meet EU registration and export requirements before they can start selling there.

Read Antonio’s full story through the link in the comments.