From “Akinchi” to Artificial Intelligence: The Azerbaijani Press on the Threshold of a New Era

The Azerbaijani national press is marking its 151st anniversary at a time when humanity is entering a new information age—the era of artificial intelligence. Technology is no longer merely accelerating the distribution of news. It is transforming the production of information, the role of journalists, the structure of the media market, and the mechanisms through which public opinion is shaped.

If the internet deprived traditional media of their monopoly over news distribution, artificial intelligence may deprive humans of their monopoly over content creation. Texts, images, videos, analytical reviews, and translations can now be produced within minutes. Algorithms increasingly determine what information users see, which sources they trust, and which issues become the focus of public attention.

The scale of this revolution remains difficult to predict. One thing, however, is already clear: the old methods of managing the information environment are rapidly losing their effectiveness.

From the First Newspaper to a Global Digital Network

The history of Azerbaijan’s national press began on July 22, 1875, when the educator Hasan bey Zardabi published the first issue of the newspaper “Akinchi.” The publication was not merely a source of news. It became an instrument of education, public awakening, and the formation of national identity.

Over the past 151 years, Azerbaijani journalism has lived through the replacement of empires and political systems, censorship, repression, periods of relative freedom, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the restoration of independence, and the emergence of private newspapers, television, online publications, and social networks.

The present technological transformation, however, may surpass all previous changes in its significance. In the past, it was primarily the channels for delivering information that changed. Today, the producer of information itself is changing.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the authorities sought to strengthen their control over traditional media—television, radio, and print publications. Yet it was precisely during this period that digital media entered the information landscape. When administrative, financial, and legal mechanisms began to be extended to online media as well, the influence of social networks grew rapidly.

Information ceased to move exclusively from the top down—from the state, a newsroom, or a television studio to the audience. It began to circulate horizontally: from one citizen to another, from one community to another, through smartphones, messaging services, and social platforms.

Six Million People Became Millions of Newsrooms

The claim that six million citizens receive information through social networks now appears to be a conservative estimate. According to DataReportal, Azerbaijan had approximately 7.61 million active social media user identities in October 2025, equivalent to 73.1 percent of the country’s population. The organisation stresses that these figures refer to user identities and do not necessarily represent unique individuals. DataReportal

These figures demonstrate one fundamental reality: social networks can no longer be regarded as a peripheral or alternative information space. For a significant part of the population, they have become the main channel for receiving news, discussing public problems, and expressing personal opinions.

As a result, professional journalism has lost its exclusive right to produce content. Everyone with a smartphone is now a potential author, camera operator, commentator, and distributor of information. A witness can publish a video before a journalist reaches the scene. A single post can attract an audience comparable to that of a major media outlet.

Attempts to control social networks through investment in loyal resources, pressure, intimidation, blocking, or administrative restrictions have turned into a form of tilting at windmills. A newsroom can be closed, a website can be blocked, and an individual journalist can be restricted. But millions of people simultaneously producing and transmitting information cannot be stopped.

Moreover, pressure does not eliminate society’s demand for independent information. It merely redirects that demand towards other platforms, encourages the spread of anonymous sources, and reduces confidence in official statements.

Artificial Intelligence Removes the Remaining Barriers

Artificial intelligence is taking this process to a new level. Producing a professional-looking text, image, or video no longer always requires a newsroom, a studio, or expensive equipment. One person with access to modern digital tools can perform work that once required an entire team.

This creates enormous opportunities. Artificial intelligence can help journalists process large volumes of documents, analyse statistics, translate texts, transcribe interviews, identify contradictions in official statements, and develop new ways of presenting information.

At the same time, the risks are increasing. Artificially generated images, fabricated videos, voice cloning, and the automated distribution of disinformation make it increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. The volume of content is growing faster than society’s capacity to verify its authenticity.

Artificial intelligence therefore does not make professional journalism obsolete. On the contrary, it makes journalism’s public mission even more important. In an environment of information abundance, the essential resource is no longer information itself but trust in its source.

The journalist of the future is not merely a writer. The journalist is a professional capable of verifying facts, explaining complex processes, distinguishing evidence from manipulation, tracing the origins of digital content, and accepting responsibility before society.

Control Does Not Create Trust

The history of recent decades demonstrates that administrative control cannot produce lasting public consensus. It may temporarily restrict the circulation of certain opinions, but it does not eliminate the causes of distrust, discontent, or conflict.

Public consensus is formed not through an information monopoly but through open discussion. It requires a space in which different positions are represented and citizens can compare arguments and reach their own conclusions.

The state should not fear diversity of opinion. Critical journalism can identify problems before they develop into crises. Independent media provide feedback between society and the authorities, warn of mistaken decisions, expose abuses, and contribute to improving the quality of governance.

The suppression of criticism, by contrast, creates an information vacuum. In such a system, state institutions begin to receive a distorted picture of public sentiment, while citizens look for answers in unverified publications and anonymous channels.

From 171st Place to the Ranks of Free Countries

Azerbaijan’s position in international assessments of press freedom remains extremely difficult. While the country ranked 167th in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, it fell to 171st place out of 180 countries in the 2026 ranking. Azerbaijan received a score of 23.95 out of 100, and its press freedom situation was classified as “very serious.” Reporters Without Borders

These indicators should not be viewed merely as an external assessment or an element of international political rivalry. A country’s position in the ranking affects its reputation, investment attractiveness, ability to develop innovation, and the competitiveness of its institutions.

Azerbaijan should aim not merely to leave the bottom of the ranking but to join the group of countries where freedom of expression is regarded as a condition for sustainable development and national security.

This requires political will. Journalists who have been imprisoned or are serving sentences in connection with their professional activities should be released. The media market must be liberalised, equal economic conditions must be created for news organisations, the selective application of legislation must end, and genuine guarantees of editorial independence must be established.

State support for the media should not become a tool for cultivating loyalty. It should be distributed transparently, according to clear criteria, and without interference in editorial policy. Journalists must also be given access to information of public importance, while mechanisms for holding officials accountable for refusing to answer information requests must be strengthened.

Hasan Bey Zardabi’s New Testament

The mission that Hasan bey Zardabi set for the national press 151 years ago remains relevant. Technologies, formats, and the speed of news distribution are changing, but society still needs knowledge, honest discussion, and reliable information.

Artificial intelligence presents Azerbaijan with a choice. It can be used for the mass production of propaganda, digital surveillance, and the simulation of public support. Yet the same artificial intelligence can become a tool for education, improving the quality of journalism, expanding access to knowledge, and strengthening public oversight.

The future of the Azerbaijani press will not be determined by the number of controlled media resources or the sophistication of mechanisms used to restrict information. It depends on the ability of the state and society to recognise a new reality: in the digital age, public consciousness cannot be managed through prohibitions.

The only rational path is to create an objective, pluralistic, and high-quality information environment. Trust instead of control. A willingness to respond to criticism instead of fear of it. Free competition of ideas instead of an information monopoly.

Such a transition would be a worthy continuation of Hasan bey Zardabi’s work and the most important outcome of the 151-year journey of Azerbaijan’s national press.