Press Council �dared� to respond to President�s words

Baku/18.10.19/Turan: At today"s meeting the Press Council discussed criticism of Ilham Aliyev about the use of the media by authorities in order to blackmail each other.

"One of the negative trends in our media space is sites created by private individuals for blackmail. As a rule, such sites select a specific target and disseminate fictitious information," the press council said.

Such little-known publications circulate fake messages, creating a false opinion and shaping public opinion. This aims to intimidate a specific person.

The Press Council regrets that often such sites are created by individual senior officials, using them against their rivals.

Members of the Board of the Press Council put forward specific proposals to overcome the situation, and in particular, the registration of online media.

It is also suggested that mere public censure by the Press Council does not produce effective results. For this reason, it is proposed to adopt a law on the Press Council and give it the appropriate powers to regulate the media. "This will play a key role in eliminating the negative phenomena that were indicated in the speech of President Ilham Aliyev," the Press Council said.

Further in the message, confused and unconnected thoughts are expressed, from which it follows that it is necessary to abolish the criminal punishment for defamation.

"The decriminalization of defamation and the existence of a separate law in this regard also governs the selection of adequate civil penalties for media shortcomings and unprofessionalism." (What the head of the Press Council Aflatun Amashev wanted to say by this, he probably does not understand himself - RED).

Further, the Press Council speaks of the need to strengthen the financial base of the media through advertising and to use foreign experience in the distribution of public agency advertising. -03D-