New Media in the regions

The main objective of the project "Development of new media and its distribution in the regions" is promotion of media activists and citizens, said at press conference  on Thursday in the Media Centre, Emin Huseynov, the head of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS), summing up the six-month project, implemented with the support of the European Union.

     He said the project the value of which is 117.876 euros was intended for a year. Most of this amount  was allocated  by the EU. The project is implemented by a consortium of NGOs led by IRFS in five regions: Baku, Ganja, Nakhchivan, Lankaran and Guba.

     In all these regions  one training was carried out, and during the remaining  six months one more training will be held in all   these regions.

    The journalist Shahvalad Chobanoglu, who conducted the training, said he did not expect that effect, which is received. He said the training the participants were representatives of NGOs, youth organizations, human rights activists, local journalists, and active Internet users.

     "We  have taught them to use  software with open code, the licensed programs,  and not pirate programs,  and the ability to send video footage and put it on the Internet, using blogs, use the Internet for philanthropic purposes, to find like-minded people through social networks,"  said Shahvalad Chobanoglu.

     He has criticized NGOs those  who do not use the power of the Internet. He also spoke about  lack of Internet statistics in the country, although in many countries, such there is  such statistics.

    According to Emin Huseynov, the negative was the fact that at the beginning of the project the government media criticized the project, stating that it was intended to violate stability in the region.

     The positive result  have become  skills grafted to the project participants, as well as a great educational work on creating  the content.

     Speaking about the general situation with the new media in the country, he said that approximately one million users  of Facebook in Azerbaijan, and about 40,000 active users of Twitter. -04С-