It is important that the Media Development Agency should not follow the path of the State Media Support Fund – expert

Baku/13.01.21/Turan: The reason for the creation of the Media Development Agency is that such journalistic organizations as the Press Council and the Media State Support Fund did not cope with the responsibilities assigned to them, and their activities caused negative assessments. This is the opinion of Gulu Maharramli, a well-known television journalist, who commented on the creation of the Media Development Agency in Azerbaijan.

According to him, during the Press Council and the State Media Support Fund, the free press in the country was destroyed, and journalists were repressed. These organizations did not help develop media freedom.  

He said that the new Agency resembles the former Ministry for Press and Information in Azerbaijan, which also had broad rights and responsibilities. Maharramli drew attention to the fact that the tasks of the Agency, along with state regulation of the entire field of journalism, indicate the need to develop technologically new areas of media.

The expert is concerned about the Agency's right to administrative punishments, similar to how the National Council on Television and Radio deprives radio and television companies of air hours, but he is glad that the Agency cannot close the media outlets.

"Only courts have such powers, and we know how the courts work in Azerbaijan."

Maharramli noted also the positive aspects of the innovation. “The Agency is entrusted with the improvement of the material and technical base of the media, legislative activity. Will the Agency achieve freedom of speech for journalists or will it repeat the path of the State Media Support Fund? In developed countries there are similar state organizations, they are beneficial, the state financially helps the media. The main support should be provided to electronic online media, he said.

About Ahmed Ismailov, the head of the Agency, Maharramli said that he is a lawyer, worked in the highest executive authorities. He is not a journalist, but a manager.

“The sad experience of the Press Council, which led journalism, has shown that the main thing for leading personnel is not their profession, but intentions and beliefs,” Gulu Maharramli stressed.--0--