Media outlets that failed to apply for registration in MEDIA will face trial

Baku/17.10.22/Turan: The registration in the Azerbaijani journalists' registry was launched on October 14. Jahangir Hasanli, head of the Media Development Agency's (MEDİA) Media Register service, told the press that registration is conducted online through the portal reyestr.media.gov.az by means of ASAN Login.

"Media registry is necessary to establish order in the media sphere. The document we issue does not attest to the journalistic profession of the holder, but only confirms his registration in the media register," Hasanli explained.

According to Saida Shafiyeva, MEDIA Director of Communications, journalists not registered in the registry will be able to work as before by receiving answers from any state bodies and sending inquiries.

"The registry does not limit them in anything, being only an information base," Shafieva said.

Registration will be available for six months, beginning Oct. 1.

The media circulated J. Hasanli's words about the attractiveness of having journalists on the registry: registered media workers will be able to receive preferential mortgages and other benefits.  "In the future the placement of state social advertising in media subjects, strengthening of social protection, improvement of material provision of these media and other benefits are being considered."

In conversation with Turan Saida Shafiyeva complemented by saying that we are talking about 4% preferential mortgages for the purchase of housing. Those who are not registered in the Registry will not have such an opportunity.

Hasanli did not talk about benefits for journalists still working in the profession who are not registered in the registry, but pointed out that the absence of registration in the registry does not limit journalists in any way.

As for the media, the requirements are strict. Hasanli mentions Clauses 62.2 and 62.3 of the Media Law, according to which print and online media outlets must apply to the Media Agency seven days in advance in order to receive an "appropriate response in accordance with the law". 

And media outlets operating before the Law came into force are required, under clause 78.3, to apply to the Agency within six months of the start date of the Registry. "Thus, operating media outlets have six months of time," Hasanli stressed.

While unregistered media journalists can continue working "as if nothing had happened," with the loss of hope for low-interest mortgages and other benefits, the conditions for media operations have become harsh: Editorial offices are required to register.

Media expert and lawyer Alesker Mamedli points to the restrictions imposed on journalists working for media outlets that are not registered with the registry. Such journalists will not be registered in the Register.

What if media outlets fail to register (fail to register in time, refuse to register on ideological grounds) or get rejected by MEDİA? S.Shafieva answered this question as saying that according to the Law on Media the legality of the work of media subjects who have not applied for registration in the Register within 6 months will be considered in court. 

According to lawyer Mammadli, these requirements are tough enough and will make the life of journalists very difficult.

The Media Development Agency was established by a January 12 Presidential Decree to implement the policy of media development.  The Law "On Media" was adopted by the Parliament on December 30, 2021, and approved by Presidential Decree on February 8, 2022.

In Ukraine since 2007 there is a regulation "On the State Register of Print Media and News Agencies as Subjects of Information Activity".

About 152,000 media outlets are registered in the State Register of Mass Media created in August 2021. Since last year, some Russian media outlets were labeled as "foreign agents" with the resulting repressive sanctions.

In Latvia, mass media are registered in the Register of Enterprises of the Republic of Latvia.

State registration of the mass media takes place at the Ministry of Justice of Kyrgyzstan.

State registration of the media exists in Uzbekistan, with the procedure transferred to a notification-based electronic format in 2020. --0--