Created "Media Club"

Baku/19.04.18/Turan: On 19 April a group of representatives of the independent media community of the Azerbaijan announced the creation of the "Media Club". Its goal is defined as the formation of an independent, healthy information space of the country. The statement on the establishment of the "Media Club" was signed by: Arif Aliyev, Elchin Shikhly, Elimdar Aliyev, Alesker Mammadli, Avaz Zeynalli, Gulu Maggeramli, Mehman Aliyev, Zahir Azamat.

The document says that representatives of the media community consider it necessary to consolidate efforts to create an atmosphere in Azerbaijan that fosters the formation of independent, quality and responsible media, the return of public confidence in the press, and to prevent attempts to turn the media into an instrument of manipulation, aggression and lies.

The idea of ​​creating a "Media Club" is dictated by the challenges faced by the information space of Azerbaijan, which are characterized by the crisis of traditional media and attempts to turn a social network into a system of manipulation.-0--

Application for the establishment of the Media Club

The information space of Azerbaijan faces challenges that are characterized both by the crisis of traditional media and the growing influence of the social information network.

The crisis of the press is expressed in the loss of creative and economic independence, a decline in the level of professionalism and social significance. This process is particularly difficult in TV and radio broadcasting. The press increasingly loses the function of a public mediator between communities, individuals, between the state and society. Social networks at the level of individual initiatives try to take on these functions and fill the information vacuum caused by the loss of public confidence in traditional media. However, recent attempts by certain authorities to block such initiatives and use the Internet space to spread defamation and insults pose a threat to the transformation of the social network into a system of manipulation.

In this regard, we, the representatives of the media community, consider it necessary to consolidate efforts to create an atmosphere that will contribute to the formation of independent, quality and responsible media, the return of public confidence in them, and to prevent attempts to turn media into manipulation, aggression and lies.

To realize these goals and objectives, we decided to create a Media Club, which will become a delusion for the promotion and protection of the interests of the information community, including media, social networks.

In this regard, we intend:

Create a discussion platform for discussing the current topics of the information community,

Consolidate the solidarity of the information community

Develop and promote legislative proposals for the protection and development of a healthy information society

Conduct research, prepare recommendations and implement them in practice with the aim of economically prospering Mass Communication facilities, increasing their professionalism, introducing ethical standards, protecting communication media and participants in the information space from any form of pressure.

Yours faithfully:

Arif Aliyev (Head of the journalist association "Yeni Nesil")

Elchin Shikhli (Head of the Union of Journalists of Azerbaijan, Chief Editor of the Zerkalo edition)

Elimdar Aliyev (editor-in-chief of AzToday.az)

Alesker Mammadli (media expert)

Avaz Zeynalli (editor-in-chief of xural.com)

Gulu Maggeramli (Professor of the Faculty of Journalism, TV host Günaz TV)

Mehman Aliyev (Director of Turan Information Agency)

Zahir Azamat (editor-in-chief of Qaynarinfo.Az)