Media Sustainability Index - Azerbaijan Has no Free Media Business

The American project to support development IREX unveiled Media Sustainability Index in 80 countries for 2012.

This study provides in-depth analysis of the conditions for the development of independent media in 80 countries around the world.

Sustainability index is determined by the ability to mass media to play its role as the "fourth power".

In addition, the estimated stability of the entire media sector in the context of socially useful, timely, and objective information.

It also checks how well the media serve as a proxy for public discussion. To estimate this accounted for five factors that shape the media system: freedom of speech, professional journalism, business management, a variety of news, etc.

In the section devoted to Azerbaijan, said that the overall sustainability index appreciated 1.83 points, which means the "volatile and mixed state media."

2013 was a year of arrests, lawsuits and heavy fines for journalists.

With eleven imprisoned journalists and bloggers in 2012, Azerbaijan is one of the 10 leading jailers of the press.

Journalists operate under restrictions and constant harassment. Crimes against the press poorly investigated. Reported are 60 cases of violence against journalists.

35 lawsuits have been filed against the media. Libel remains a criminal offense. Access to public information is limited. Press inquiries are delayed or ignored altogether.

In many areas, the government of President Ilham Aliyev received the position from his father, suppress the press.

An impressive number of over 5,000 TV channels, radio stations, and newspapers does not translate into a pluralism of views. Broadcast media, including Public broadcaster ITV and state-owned AzTV, are under the strict control of the government. Only one TV station, ANS, provides anything approaching balanced reporting, but it struggles to attract revenue due to selective advertising by risk-averse companies in the market. Newspapers that are critical of the government are struggling with court-imposed fines.

In 2012, the parliament has restricted access to public information by prohibiting provide information of a commercial company.

Self-censorship is widely practiced. Journalists do not feel that the police protect them.

In 2012, the number of Internet users has reached more than 3.6 million or 40% of the population. In the absence of freedom in the traditional media, blogs have become a place of comments on political events, while YouTube is a place where you can see mass protests and rallies.

In the absence of a real advertising, the authorities continue to provide grants through the State Council to support the media. With difficulty surviving newspaper, do not want to lose this source of income. Internet is still expensive compared to neighboring countries.

Finally, an overall assessment: Azerbaijani media are an unsustainable and mixed system. The country minimally meets the declared objectives, possessing only the elements of the legal system, the opposition of the authorities and free media.

Real progress in a free press, increased professionalism, and new media business projects can testify about sustainability.

The situation is worst with the conduct of the media business (the level of the Index 1.35) and freedom of speech (the level of the Index - 1.80).

According to the report, the state of the media in Georgia and Armenia is better than in Azerbaijan, although they face with similar problems. -02B-