Baku. On July 22,
Azerbaijan marks the National Press
Day. One hundred 39 years, on July 22, 1875, an educator Hasan bey Zardabi published the
first newspaper in the country "Ekinchi" (Sower.)
At the end of 19th and early 20th
centuries, a number of newspapers became
distributors of the national idea and freedom. Despite persecution by the
tsarist authorities, and then the Communists, the edition of
free media continued in neighboring countries. In Soviet
times such publications as "Istiqlal", "Azeri Turk",
"Yashyl yarpag", "Odlu Yurdu", "Bildirish",
"Yeni Kafkaziya" were
published in Turkey.
In the late 80s, a period of adjustment
and weakening of the Soviet regime, free media edition revived in Azerbaijan .
In 1989, December 24 the country legally began publishing the newspaper
"Azadlig". Censorship in Azerbaijan was officially abolished in
1997. Today Baku declares complete
freedom of media, although on all indicators and ratings of international organizations,
the country ranks one of the last.
There are at least two cases of murders of
journalists that have not been disclosed, customers and the perpetrators of
these murders are not arrested.
Azerbaijan on the number of arrested bloggers and journalists is among the top ten countries in the world,
and in the OSCE area in the first place. Today 11 journalists and bloggers are
under arrest in the country. Economic conditions for the development of the
media business in Azerbaijan are
extremely heavy.
Authorities control the advertising market
and do not allow independent media there.
Every year millions of manats spent to subsidize pro-government media,
pay grants, salaries and purchase of equipment. All this is reminiscent of
Soviet-style government, where the press was completely dependent on the
authorities, and always has always
been completely loyal to the government.