Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 22 / Trend E. Mehdiyev /
The Azerbaijani authorities demonstrate the political will by offering to put the bill on Defamation for public discussion, head of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Social and Political Department Ali Hasanov told Trend today.
"Certain timeframe will be required for the society to get ready to use this law," he said. "Journalists are not ready to assume full responsibility for defamation in any world country."
"Azerbaijan is one of these countries and Azerbaijani journalism is not ready to approve this law," he said. "Even if the law on Defamation is adopted, Azerbaijani journalists will face certain problems and will long wrangle in the courts. The cases related to "racketeering journalism", insult and slander in the media with respect to some individuals, the spread of all kinds of sensations to increase the circulation of publications testify to this."
"The proposal of putting the defamation law for public discussion is the will of Azerbaijan's political leadership," he said.
"Azerbaijan's political leadership wants to entitle the journalists themselves to define the measures of their responsibility, to develop journalistic ethics, code of conduct, for them to determine what is bad and good in the society," he said.
"It is necessary to prepare the society and media for the inter-relations, and the choice of a new model of relations," he said.
"A professional level of journalism is still low in Azerbaijan," he said. "Real professionals are the minority. A lot of people far from journalism work in media outlets."