Experts Criticize Creation of Media Development Agency with Broad Powers

Baku/13.01.21/Turan: The general assessments of experts on the liquidation of the Media Development Support Fund in the country and the creation of the Media Development Agency on its basis are negative.

“The agency's charter indicates that it will deal with all issues: from administrative penalties to print and online media, right up to the implementation of business activities. In addition, it talks about concepts that are not provided for in the current legislation. For example, the charter mentions “audiovisual media”, which is absent neither in the Law on Mass Media, nor in the Law on TV and Radio Broadcasting,” noted Alasgar Mammadli, a well-known expert in the field of media law.

He recalled that the central executive body supervising the media was abolished when Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe. Now it is being revived in the form of a legal entity of public law, and with confused powers, without preliminary discussions in society.

In turn, expert-economist Samir Aliyev noted that the biggest rivals of the Azerbaijani press are social networks and the YouTube service.

Readers and users will learn about what is happening in the country from these platforms. These platforms have shown that people are interested not only in show business, but also in political processes and economic decisions, Samir Aliyev said.

In his opinion, the number 1 recipe for the development of the press is to ensure its independence and the absence of censorship. “Without this, no Foundation or Agency will be able to develop media. In the best case, they will grow a greenhouse press, which, however, will not be competitive,” the expert believes. -16D-