The state should not interfere in the content of the media

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- Khalid bey, how will the Media Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in short, MEDIA, differ from the State Support Fund for the Development of Mass Media? That is, will the issue consist only of a name or structural change, or is there something new in the charter of the new agency?

- At this stage, we can answer the questions on this topic with our assumptions in the light of the realities of our country and the experience we have observed. There is a new body, it is not active, so it is too early to evaluate. We can say that the State Support Fund for the Development of Mass Media, established 11 years ago, was one of the institutions that played a key role in controlling the media in Azerbaijan. This organization gradually began to penetrate the media in 2009 and was able to make the print media almost completely dependent on it in a short time. In my opinion, although it was not written in the documents, this was the main mission given to them, as well as other institutions in this field. However, the image of this Fund, especially in the last 2-3 years, was seriously damaged, and its main mission was fully exposed. In this regard, it was entirely expected that the government would liquidate the Fund or present it in a new image. Therefore, I do not see a serious difference in principle between the abolished and the newly created institution. The new body will likely carry out the same mission as the Fund in reality. In order to misinterpret this approach, the new institution has to do revolutionary work. Time will tell how the new agency will differ from the State Support Fund in a positive or negative way. As for the documents that will regulate the activities of the organization, there are differences in the text, especially in relation to the activities aimed at online media, but the content is more or less the same.

- What positive or negative effects can this institution have on the development of the media?

- We can make assumptions on this issue based on the rights and responsibilities set out in the documents of the organization. From a technical point of view, the organization has a wide range of powers and responsibilities. It seems that the agency will have ample opportunities to ensure the financial sustainability of the media and regulate advertising. If regulatory mechanisms are created in this area, if the media has access to advertising revenues, it will contribute to development. The agency will also have the opportunity to interfere in the content of the media. Powers such as punishment with regard to the content and directing the content are very dangerous. Empowering an institution created by the state with such powers is incompatible with the right to freedom of expression. Legislation already delineates the boundaries of freedom of expression, and any other interference is unacceptable. In all cases, we will be able to see the positive and negative effects more clearly in due course.

- The charter of the agency states that measures should be taken to protect state secrets and confidentiality, as well as other information protected by law, as well as commercial secrets and confidentiality. So, isn't that against the right to information? Aren't these provisions restricting and censoring the work of journalists and the media?

- There are many such questionable points in the documents regulating the activities of the organization. First of all, what you mentioned does not match the name of the new institution. Why should an organization aiming at the development of the media take on the role of protecting information that is always in the interest of the media? In fact, shouldn't such an institution work to further expand access to the information? There are many such questions and rightly raises the suspicion of restriction.

- The charter also states that the agency should take measures to strengthen the economic independence of media entities and to provide financial support for the development of the media. Do you think that any institution established by the state can be interested in the economic independence of the media? In general, what can an institution established by the state do to provide financial support for the development of the media? Will the money of the state again circulate in someone’s pocket under the name of media development?

- The economic situation of the media in Azerbaijan and access to finance have become so deplorable that the state must take very serious steps to overcome this situation. The main source of funding for the media can be business, advertising money. Business in our country is largely in the hands of politics too. Therefore, politicians and the government will intervene in any way in this aspect. From this point of view, the new institution can be useful in this direction. It is not a question of distributing budget money to the media, but of forming an advertising market. The advertising budget of the media in Azerbaijan is much smaller than in neighboring Georgia. It is necessary to implement programs to revive the weak budget, to ensure the access of the media to it, and thus to get rid of the financial dependence of the media, and the new institution can do useful work in this direction.

- Khalid bey, finally, is there a need for the state to pay attention to the media in any form, by creating an institution and allocating funds for the development of the media, or will giving full freedom and independence to the media regulate this issue by itself? What would you suggest?

- As I mentioned earlier, the state of the media is deplorable due to “the earthquake or the chaos”. The media is directly or indirectly dependent on funding from the government, people affiliated with the government. The state must intervene in the situation, either by creating an institution or by developing and implementing policy documents. If laws are improved, mechanisms intimidating the media and journalists can be eliminated, and a free economic basis for journalism can be created. If the goal is to create a truly free media that can stand on its own two feet, it is impossible without them.