We Must Understand There Is No Alternative to Truth - Shahin Jafarli

Baku / 02.02.19 / Turan: The state refused to finance about 20 Azerbaijani newspapers published in the traditional paper-typographical way. The Chairman of the Press Council, Aflatun Amashov, explained the decision of the State Support Fund for Media Development of January 31, 2019 with the inefficiency of funded newspapers and the growing popularity of electronic online media among the population. At the same time, he expressed doubt that the information recorded on modern electronic media will continue in the future and therefore expressed his wish to continue publishing paper newspapers that will be able to convey today"s realities to our descendants. Let us leave aside Amashov"s last inference and agree with him that if out of 5,200 media registered in Azerbaijan (of different formats) only 10% regularly go to the readers, then there is a problem that needs to be solved.

"Attitude to newspaper business must change. Why are large-format color newspapers not published in Azerbaijan? We must integrate into the global information space, we must respond adequately to modern challenges. This requires reforms that can be difficult, but this path is fundamentally correct and useful." concludes Amashov in the article. That is, he agrees that state financing of the media does not give the expected result, and his previous paragraph explains: people prefer to receive information from electronic media. Add from yourself - from social networks.

Internet expert Osman Gunduz believes the country should adopt an information concept. A cardinal reform must also take place on the entire television space of Azerbaijan. The changes taking place at AzTV are considered signs of the existence of a need.

A. Amashov does not give a recipe for solving the problem, perhaps because it has been known to everyone for a long time, brought to the attention of the Azerbaijani authorities in numerous resolutions of the Council of Europe, world journalistic organizations, in publications of local authors. The media cannot develop without the freedom of speech and opinion, the state ensuring freedom of the press and journalistic activities. To finance the media, an advertising market that is free from monopoly and government intervention is necessary, which is impossible without a developed market economy.

In Lithuania, whose population is more than three times less than Azerbaijan"s, last year the volume of advertising in magazines and newspapers was respectively 9.6 million euros and 8.5 million euros. In Azerbaijan, the volume of the market for all online advertising is 5-6 million manat, and 60% is social media, said the founder of the Universal Reklam advertising agency Elkhan Mahmudov.

Journalist Shahin Jafarli believes the Azerbaijani state can redistribute financial assistance to other media, reduce or increase funding, but until the press reports the truth, it cannot become self-sustaining. "The era of print media has not ended. The era of lies has come to an end. Such media are not needed even by the state, because they cannot influence public opinion, and against the background of social media telling the truth, they look insignificant and powerless. There are also no prospects for newspapers of the same line. You can have hundreds of sites, television and radio channels, but you have to understand that there is no alternative to the truth," said Sh. Jafarli.

He worked at the APA pro-government news agency, which employed 200 people and was financed 200,000 manat a month; in August 2018, the agency was closed overnight as instructed from above. The closing of APA had no effect on the information support of the Azerbaijani population. -0-