It’s been an honour to serve the community


Karin Saghdejian Deragopian

In October 2005, a group of media enthusiasts in Toronto came together and, with the full support of the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto (ACC Toronto), embarked on a journey: publishing a bilingual, financially self-sufficient community-wide newspaper. Their primary motivation was to fill a gap that the expanding community had: a publication with timely content accessible to all members and sections of the community, serving all of southern Ontario.

Today we can humbly assert that thanks to its hardworking staff’s dedication, the ACC’s support, and the continuous encouragement of our readers, Torontohye has filled that gap.

For the past 17 years, the newspaper has been a constant presence in the community covering its myriad activities, news from Armenia and the diaspora, our achievements as a nation, as well as its trials and tribulations. Along the way, we have reported on countless events, conducted numerous interviews with our cultural figures, and provided exposure and opportunity to the young talents of our community. We have given space to all without distinction and tried to be a platform for all voices. To what extent we have been able to achieve and balance that difficult task is left to the judgment of our readers.

But times have changed. In 2005, Internet use was limited, and social media was in its infancy. The community mainly relied on print and broadcast media to access news from Armenia and the diaspora. Today social media has become the leading platform to break and disseminate information. The needs and the means have changed. We created our website and Facebook page a few years back to keep up with the spirit of the times and the fast-evolving media. Those proved to be the most accessed online platforms for our readers during the past ten years, especially during the pandemic when the paper’s publication was intermittent. Today, as print media worldwide faces challenges of accessibility, it has become even more critical to keep up with the spirit of the times. A new approach is also imperative to keep the youth and the young talents of the community involved and engaged.

And who can be more suited to the task but the community’s own Rupen Janbazian, the former editor of the Armenian Weekly and Hamazkayin’s h-pem platform, brings a fresh approach and a new outlook to the paper. I am delighted to announce that I have handed over the editorial reins of Torontohye to Rupen and am extremely confident that his media experience will enrich our content and delivery.

Dear Readers,

This brings me to my final words as the founding editor. For the past 17 years, together with my dedicated staff, I have stuck to my commitments through thick and thin. I hope I haven’t let anyone down by my editorial actions, omissions, or misreported or misrepresented any community event or organization.

Thank you to ACC Toronto for its unwavering support; to every person and organization who encouraged our work and believed in what we do. I am grateful to every community member who waited for the paper each month, made the journey to pick it up from a distribution location, took it home, or passed it to a friend.

Thank you, dear Toronto Armenian community, for your loyalty, for being with me during one of my best career experiences, and I hope it was in the service of our local and global community. Today more than any time in our recent history, it is imperative that no matter our differences, we stay connected, communicate, and stick together during these fateful times for our nation and the homeland.

Thank you,

Karin Saghdejian Deragopian
Founding Editor, Torontohye


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