Attention to social media is higher in countries with non-free press

It should be conceded that the situation around the freedom of press in our country is painful as follows from numerous local and international reports. Azerbaijan is ranked 166 out of 180 countries of the world by press freedom index "Reporters without borders".

It is the lack of fair judicial system capable of protecting the free press and calumny fines are one of the basic factors disturbing journalists" activity. At the same time, the lack of independent financial resources, restricted advertisement market and monopoly are a serious problem for the freedom of press. There is also a juridical barrier to carry out a public control by mass media and get an access to information which is also important.

For some time past, traditional mass media have been replacing electronic ones. In particular, media-resources of social networks exert a great influence on social and political life of the country. Thanks to social networks and mobile communication, rapid virtual resources are raising a curtain to the free mass media. Under social network monitoring, at present the country"s active population is interested in virtual discussions.

It should be stressed that social networks focus largely on social and psychological conditions of society. When adjusted for a particular significance of the above for our country, let"s compare social networks of yturkey, Russia and Georgia.

What are the most popular TV-channels on YouTube in Russia?

It has to be noted that the population of Russia is 146 million; it is quite probable that the audience of the Russian-language press is greaster. Note that broadcasting in Russian is available in all the countries of the former Soviet Union. In particular, it is highly probable to apply information of Russian sites in ukraine, Belarus, Moldavia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, other countries.

First ever on the post-Soviet expanse the Russian bloger, Alexey Navalniy became an anchorman in social network of YouTube. The point is about a social-political program intended mostly for the opposition which is publisdhed on YouTube with its largest subscriber"s base. Suffice it to remind that the Navalniy"s channel has 2, 783.391 subscribers; and Navalnyi LIVE - 940, 418 subscribers.

Accordinly, the number of weekly viewings of opposition broadcasts of Alexey Navalniy" channel ranges between 2,5-3 million. Approx. 230, 000 subscribers (7%) are positive while 4,100 subscribers dislike these channels (1,2%). Also, average weekly viewing of Navalniy channel LIVE ranges between 800, 000 to 900, 000. Note 54, 000 (5%) are liked and 1,000 disliked by subscribers (1,8%).

Another opposition virtual TV-channel is owned by Kseniya Sobchak and has 811, 533 subscribers (approx. 0,9%). Average weekly viewings is 1,5 million. The channels are liked by 30, 000; disliked by 3-4, 000.

The essential point to remember is the fact that Russia has other virtual resources with a great number of subscribers. But they are not oppositional. For instance, the number of NTV subscribers in YouTube is 5, 765.452; however, the number of viewings is scanty to range within 80-100, 000 a week.

Television channel ISTV (ICTV TV-channel) has total 859, 853 subscribers on YouTube. Note that the channel is mostly engaged in producing documentary films, special programs, show-program announcements. Note that viewings vary from 100 to 150,000 a week.

In spite of the fact that the number of Russian-language viewers is approx. 200 millions, the number of voters is about 111 million. Under calculations, 0,4-1,3% of viewers and 0,8-2,5% of voters are watching virtual resources.

In Turkey, interest in social networks is poor!

Besides Russia, Turkey with its 82 million population has a much greater audience abroad. Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Iran, some Arab and Balkan countries face no language difficulties when viewing Turkic publications. As a whole, the Turkish audience is much greater than country"s population.

Allowing for the fact that the community-access television of Turkey is an objective source of information, absolute majority of the population obtains alternative information through these channels. No opposition-minded resources with numerous readers are available at virtual levels. In the main, there are "YouTube" channels with their special author"s programs and entertainment broadcasts.

Viewing Beyaz Show through YouTube are 980 392; HalkTV - 394 538; CNN Turk - 254 948; Yilmaz Özdil Yazıları - 205 714; FOX News - 204 444; НТB - 149 680. Note that the audience of these channels is fewer than the number of subscribers.

Despite approximate estimates that Turkic viewers have above 100 million subscribers, total number of voters is 57,1 million. As a rule, the number of channel subscribers in social network ranges between 0,1 to 0,9% of Turkic-speaking viewers, from 0,2 to 1,7% of voters.

Tendency toward social networks is proportional to the level of mass media freedom in Georgia and Armenia

In Georgia, there is not practically the television in social networks, especially at YouTube. The TV-channel IMEDI has the most numerous audience of subscribers - 138 929; next comes TV-channel Rustavi-2 (RUSTAVI 2) - 52 278. Average number of viewings is about 9-15 minutes a week.

As compared to Georgia, social networks are widely spread in Armenia. "Radio Liberty" has 348267; 1inTV- 167.826, "a1plusnews" - 131.245, "Factor TV" - 109.215 subscribers. Note that last years" interest in social netwoks was great on the eve of "velvet revolution". Even LIVE of the Armenian bureau "Liberty" was watched simultaneously by 60-70 000 viewers. Total number of viewings made up about 700 000. To compare, this is an excellent figure for Armenia with its 3 million population. Note that total audience at "Radio Liberty" ranges between 38 - 40, 000. This index is lower in other sources. Following Pashinyan"s advent to power in line with freedom of speech, an interest in local TV is much greater than local networks.

Interest in social networks in Azerbaijan is great

It"d be appropriate to remind that the population of Azerbaijan is 10 million; the voters - 5,2 million. The audience of Internet-channels is largely limited to Azerbaijanis residing in the country and abroad. An interesting situation arises in the monitoring of a number of independent and opposition virtual pages and programs issued in YouTube and Facebook.

It is worth pointing out that Azadliq Radiosu is watched by 361 417 viewers; Kanal13AZ - 343 679, SANCAQ - 340 437, MeydanTV - 293 005,Azad Söz - 138 837, Azerbaycan Saati by 135 428.

Made in Azerbaycan - 131 396 and OSMANGIZI TV - 111273 spectators. All of them constitute approx. 18.55% of total population and 35.68% of total voters.

In spite of the fact that a weekly average rating is 30-50 minutes, monthly and yearly figures are altered to reach million viewers. Note that in some programs the maximum number of viewers is approx. 2,5 millions. Live meetings, contradictory and tragic events attract people in ratio as follows: population - 30%; voters - 50%. Also, 15 to 17% of viewers insist that they like broadcastings.

It should be remembered that one of the main problems of Azerbaijan is unprintable rhetoric that goes beyond mass media standards. Note that pages and publications of opposition blogers are attractive for a great number of the audience. It is no mere coincidence that video-presentations with mark 18+ aimed against the authorities have been watched by 2-3 millions, i.e. 30% of population and 60% of voters.

It"d be appropriate to remind that viewing of virtual platforms openly or secretly supporting a political line of the government cannot be compared with the resources mentioned above. Even a superficial monitoring is illustrative that long-term policy of oppressing the freedom of press in Azerbaijan contributed to scores of negative tendencies in the information environment, including the lack of impartiality, truth, balance and pluralism. In other words, the point is about the substitution of principles of high quality journalism for lie, insult, misinformation and aggression.