ITV gives air to those who were previously on the �black lists�

Public Television (ITV) is discussing important issues of the country in the talk show "Diqqət Mərkəzi" ("Attention Center"). The latest program was devoted to swearing on social networks, discussions on domestic political issues, and insults to the authorities by activists of the Azerbaijani political emigration.

One of the participants in the latest talk show Arif Aliyev, the head of the "Yeni Nesil" journalistic association, answered questions from the Turan agency.

- What is the reason for the frank political programs on ITV, while nothing has changed on other TV channels, are they still misinterpreting the truth or, at best, suppressing it? What is happening?

- It has been happening for a long time, since the beginning of the year. The authorities are trying change the situation in the country and in the foreign policy of Azerbaijan. This is a painful process: there is no clear liberalization program, nor is there a strong desire and plan of action. On the other hand, in sight of the strong resistance of the conservative part of the government.

The pressure on Azerbaijan from outside is also quite strong, but unfortunately, public activity in the country is at a very low level. Non-governmental organizations are ruined and fragmented.

I will not say that the desire of the authorities to change the country to the end is conscious, but they already understand that you will not go far with the media that the authorities themselves created.

The world is changing, and the country faces great challenges. Many structures, including government, media and public organizations, are not able to solve these problems, which will necessarily lead to serious negative consequences. Therefore, much needs to be changed urgently, but this desire runs into a lack of staff. This is what happens.

- Do you have a shortage of democratically minded in power?

- You could say that, but the talk is about much more serious needs. In economics, in public life, people with new thinking are required ... At ITV, it was said that many of our problems are a consequence of the dominant in the country of public relations. Hostile relations between political forces and carriers of different ideas should have been replaced by competition and a civil dispute for a long time. Unfortunately, this did not happen.

- Did they cut a lot out of the program?

- It was like this, they cut out two important points. However, the main thing for me is that the process began, the ice gradually melted. For a long time on television, there were lists of persons whose appearance on the air is prohibited. I would not say that this list has been canceled, but there are certain steps ... Pluralism means that people of different opinions discuss them together on the same platform. We see how this process moves slowly and carefully. There is a strong internal resistance to this process, and I am saddened by the very low activity of public structures.

- Many public figures are now abroad and actively swear from there.

- I would not say that this particular part of the opposition is significant for me. Apparently, they are not sufficiently internally trained that they are switching to swearing. However, there are very strong irritants within the country. For many years, the troll factory operated, did not allow people to speak out, humiliated not so much foreign figures as their relatives, there were desecrations of graves .... Not all people are restrained and such a reaction was predicted from our side, and we warned that it would be very difficult to stop them. As a result, we have numerous problems in the field of media and public relations.

My approach expressed in the TV show is as follows: if we want to solve only the problems of abuse in social networks, then again we will make a mistake again, because everything that happens is interconnected, has common roots and requires an integrated approach to solve them.

- Isn"t it because of abuse that the government activated?

- Not only. We just see swearing in the foreground. There are difficulties in the relations between the government and the diaspora, in the whole complex of social relations, and many other issues.

- At what level is the awareness of the problem?

- It is clear that without coordination at the highest level, the television company could not shoot such programs. However, resistance also occurs at the highest level that is why not everything works efficiently.

There is a probing of the soil. In order to prevent a rollback, active actions are needed and the participation of society is very important. At the beginning of the year, there was more than one speech by the president and his supporters about the need to bring society to the control of power structures. If we continue to sleep, nothing good will come of it.

Interviewed Kamal Ali