...

There is a Sharp Need to Adopt a State Program for Developing Journalism in Azerbaijan Azeri Press Council Chairman

Politics Materials 23 December 2006 12:36 (UTC +04:00)
There is a Sharp Need to Adopt a State Program for Developing Journalism in Azerbaijan  Azeri Press Council Chairman

By making a speech at the 4th congress of the journalists of Azerbaijan on December 23, the Chairman of the Press Council of Azerbaijan, Aflatun Amashov said that there is a sharp need to adopt a State Program for developing the journalism in Azerbaijan, Trend reports. According to him, presently proposals and relevant documents are being prepared in this respect. The Chairman said that since the 3rd congress, the Council has held 19 meetings focused on 117 questions. During the reporting period, 29 media means have been dismissed from the composition of the Press Council, and possibly the same steps will be taken in relation with 25 more media means. According to him, the budget of the Press Council for the accounting period amounted AZN 25,000, with AZN 15,000 from various grants, 6,000 from the conduct of various events and 3,200 from membership fees. At the same time, Amashov expressed his dissatisfaction that the current finances do not cover even the salaries of the Press Council employees, and their salaries are paid at the expense of the finances allocated by the Open Society Institute of Soros Foundation.

In addition, Amashov expressed his dissatisfaction with the material-technical base of the Azerbaijani mass media. According to him, premises for journalists, their treatment and rest are under hard circumstance. There is a need to create an office space for the journalists. At the same time, Amashov highlighted the increase of the complaint letters, about the activities of the mass media. The complaints are received from Member of Parliament, institutions and other organization, as well as from the representatives of the community. There are a number of newspapers such as Ideal and Nakchivanin Sesi, for which court resolutions have been passed repeatedly and they still function. During the reporting period, 1000 law breaks have been noted in the mass media sphere, of which 250 are linked with the break of rules of professional ethic.

According to the report of the Mandate Commission, out of 121 mass media means, 114 participate in the work of the 4th congress of the Azerbaijani journalists (94,3 %).

Latest

Latest