“Investigative Reporting on the Corruption at Arch. Derderian’ s Western Diocese has created an Avalanche of Letters.”

BY APPO JABARIAN
EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR
USA ARMENIAN LIFE MAGAZINE

The period from Dec. 1, 2018 through July 31, 2019 has been unprecedented in the 35-year history of the twin weeklies USA Armenian Life Magazine and Armenian-language Hye Kiank Weekly.

This writer had no intention of creating a series when he first published in Dec. 2018 two initial investigative articles on the corruption in Armenian Church and more specifically of the embattled primate Arch. Hovnan Derderian of the Western Diocese.

However, after reporting the death threat delivered at me by three men from the Diocese caused a deluge of people stepping forward with their stories about the corruption and non-transparence of Arch. Hovnan Derderian.  After vetting the stories, I felt I had a moral obligation to alert the community. As I write, more stories are coming to light. As readers have seen, the privacy of the providers of evidence has always been guaranteed by USA Armenian Life Magazine.

By now thousands of readers have become aware of the corruption of Arch. Hovnan Derderian’s Western Diocese.

Nothing can be accomplished on the front lines of investigative reporting if a substantial number of readers do not support efforts to bring to the forefront of public awareness such major issues as corruption among leaders, clergy and laypeople of the Western Diocese.

Let the numbers do the talking. 

Since the creation of investigative reporting, USA Armenian Life Facebook Page followers/likes have jumped to 24,700. At a time when the print media readership has been dwindling with many media outlets, USA Armenian Life and Hye Kiank Weekly new subscriptions have grown by a whopping 18% per month over the same period from the previous year; the inquiry by potential readers has grown by 20%; and Advertising revenues grew by 3%. Online weekly readership has surpassed 180,000 through weekly e-blasts, web and social media.

The investigative article series approval rating is at an all-time high. From the onset, the core movement, pursuing reform and rescue of The Western Diocese from Arch Hovnan Derderian has been well received.  

This popularity didn’t grow overnight. It started in 2014 when mostly American Armenian members and supporters of the Diocese noticed wrongdoings perpetrated by Arch. Hovnan Derderian and his allies. The movement gained momentum in 2016 as a result of Arch. Hovnan Derderian’s gross mistreatment of a beloved pastor Datev Tatoulian of San Diego, CA.

He was unjustly treated and people took notice. Therefore, the lion’s share of credit goes to American Armenians. This writer can definitively say that these Armenians have been and continue to be the healthiest segment of the world population of Armenians. Collectively they are supportive of discipline, honesty, transparency and accountability. They care less about intra-Armenian partisanship and decline to be involved in internal bickering and petty personal politics. Here’s the first good news: Others joining the effort are Armenians from the independence generation in Armenia, Europe, South America, Oceania and Middle East who have brought about the Velvet Revolution.  With this latest development, the movement has started to gain greater momentum.

After everything is said and done the Western Diocese community will emerge as one of the healthiest segments in the entire world Armenian population. You, the readers, are entitled to be informed about issues that can impact your  collective life and common future.

 As per our longstanding editorial policy, when readers talk, USA Armenian Life Magazine’s editors attentively listen.