We produced the celerity PSA campaign, ‘I Stand with Artsakh & Armenia,’ with Kim Kardashian, Serj Tankian, Congressman Adam Schiff, Ed Begley Jr., Sally Kirkland, Lawrence Zarian, Andrea Martin, and several other stars. We recruited celebrities, wrote the script, and promoted the PSAs across all media. We had over a dozen entertainment websites host the videos and share them on their social media. We also sent several press releases and media alerts and received editorial coverage. I granted several TV interviews to discuss the campaign.
We published multiple articles about the assault on Artsakh in The Blunt Post, Desert Daily Guide, KPFK.organd GoWeHo.
Vic Gerami interviewed the leading members of Congress, other high-profile elected officials, and dignitaries about the assault and put their support on record. A few of my recent guests include Senator Bob Menendez, Congressman Adam Schiff (10.19.20), Congressman Adam Schiff (3.30.20), Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Congresswoman Katie Porter, Congressman Frank Pallone, Congressman Tony Cardenas, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congressman Mark Takano, Congressman Jim Costa, Congressman Gil Cisneros, Congresswoman Norma Torres, Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, Congressman Raul Ruiz + Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, Congressman Alan Lowenthal, as well as Marianne Williamson. You can listen to all the interview here.
Vic Gerami granted interviews to The Immigrant Magazine’s TV program, Bionic Buzz, BEONDTV, Buy Armenian, and Brave New Hollywood to discuss the situation.
We asked Lindsay Carlson, president of the Heart of LA Democratic Club to include the LA County Democratic Party’s resolution condemning Azerbaijan in their newsletter. Finally, we asked Jon Katz, president of the Santa Monica Democratic Club to post a statement on behalf of the organization.
Vic called out Cher during an interview that he granted to Brave New Hollywood, for being mute about it since September 27 and for going to Pakistan during the ‘war,’ the only country that does not recognize the Independent Republic of Armenia. Vic also called her out because Pakistan was one of the countries that supplied jihadist mercenaries to Turkey and Azerbaijan to kill Armenians. Following Vic's interview, Cher finally recorded an independent PSA.
Vic wrote an open letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein to address her ignoring of California’s 700,000 Armenian-Americans. The letter demanded an explanation for and an end to her deafening silence, and her apathetic response to Gerami’s previous letter to the senator asking for help on behalf of Artsakh and Armenia. TAAL, Vic Gerami and the Armenian-American community are still waiting for Sen. Feinstein to say something meaningful about the ongoing genocide in Artsakh.
With a YouTube video, Vic called out the former Presidential Candidate, Marianne Williamson, for her apathy and hypocrisy regarding Artsakh and Armenia.
Vic asked a longtime friend and attorney Sepi Shyne whom he had helped to get elected to the West Hollywood City Council to sponsor a resolution for the City of West Hollywood to recognize the Independent Republic of Artsakh. Due to his relationship with all the members of the West Hollywood City Council, Mayor Lindsey Horvath co-sponsored the resolution and it passed unanimously on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.
We petitioned the City of Burbank to create a resolution to formally recognize the independent Republic of Artsakh. The resolution passed unanimously on March 2, 2021.
I am an Armenian-American (activist) journalist and I have suspended my career to advocate for Artsakh and Armenia since the start of Azerbaijan and Turkey’s genocidal assault and ethnic cleansing campaign on September 27, 2020. I have worked almost around the clock as a one-man advocacy organization, reporting, writing, interviewing, giving interviews, co-producing celebrity PSAs on behalf of Artsakh and Armenians. But one person, even 14-hour days, 7 days a week is not enough to do the kind of work needed to combat Azerbaijan’s high-priced lobby groups & PR companies. As a result, we haven’t completely changed the media narrative to reflect the truth.
This continuing tragedy has overwhelmed the Artsakh and Armenian governments, as well as a few Armenian-American advocacy organizations. This, in addition to Azerbaijan and Turkey’s high-priced lobbying and public relations firms in the US and Europe, I saw a need for a task force to exclusively combat Azerbaijan & Turkey’s misinformation, lies, and propaganda. An organization that also goes beyond those two countries. A watchdog for international media, diplomats, and intelligentsia. Simply put, a public relations, communications, and media strategy organization for everything Armenian. Truth And Accountability League (TAAL).
I have worked in many sides of media throughout my career. Aside from being a journalist with a web magazine & a prime-time national political radio show, I specialize in media strategy & placement, PR & communications. This is the area where there is a lot of room for improvement if we want to influence world leaders, set the record straight, and benefit Artsakh & Armenia. This genocidal attack on Artsakh/Armenians is a fight on many levels, including information/disinformation, public awareness, and opinion.
TAAL exclusively combats Azerbaijan & Turkey’s misinformation, lies, and propaganda. But it goes beyond those two countries. It is a watchdog for international media, diplomats, and intelligentsia. Simply put, it is a public relations org for everything Armenian. AWW quickly rebuttals every major news report, article, and editorial that is inaccurate, false, or incomplete. It calls out ANYONE who says anything anti-Armenian or anti-Armenia/Artsakh. It issues press releases, media alerts (media advisories), and news alerts for major developments such as such a videos of Azerbaijani troops beheading Armenians who are still alive.
TAAL also works with reputable media outlets for positive media placements, creating strategic and synergistic relationships with reporters, editors, and journalists. AWW plans to organize press trips to Artsakh & Armenia for high-profile war & political journalists from around the globe.
I have worked in many sides of media throughout my career. Aside from being a journalist with a web magazine, TheBluntPost.com, I am a contributing writer for over two dozen publications including Windy City Times, Bay Area Reporter, The Advocate, IN Magazine, OUT Traveler, The Fight, Armenian Weekly, The Eastsider, GoWeHo, Armenian Mirror-Spectator, The Immigrant Magazine, among others.
vic gerami
The Armenian community cannot afford to continue as it has been so far. Imagine this, despite Azerbaijan’s genocidal attack and ethnic cleansing of Artsakh Armenians, the videos of beheadings and POWs, Azerbaijan continues to receive positive media. Why? Leading up to the attack on September 27, Azerbaijan ramped up its public relations campaign, employing not one but six of K-Street’s heavy-hitting firms, including the Livingston Group, Stellar Jay Communications, BGR, the Podesta Group, and DLA Piper. Last year the country spent $1.3 million on lobbying.
Above mentioned firms worked aggressively to distort facts and get media outlets to report false narratives. TAAL combats this war of disinformation.
TAAL works to change the current media trajectory in favor of Artsakh and Armenia. But it must happen quickly as lies become ‘truth’ quickly. Azerbaijan is rapidly producing fake maps, khachkars, and fantastical fictitious narratives to brainwash the world. I ask you to support Armenian World Watch and allow me to fight on behalf of Armenians in four corners of the globe.