“I congratulate all journalists on the occasion of July 22 – National Press Day! I wish them good health, happiness, joy, optimism, inexhaustible energy, creative success and new achievements! I would like to note that the services of the press in the formation, development, enlightenment of society, informing about the ongoing processes, as well as the establishment of public opinion in the country, the protection of state and public interests, decision-making are undeniable. The press plays an important role in the life of society by providing accurate, impartial and reliable information to the public and ensures the right of citizens to receive complete, accurate and timely information. It performs a supervisory and regulatory function by creating a kind of bridge between the state and public organizations and citizens. It is not for nothing that the media are called the fourth branch of government. Today, the Azerbaijani media is successfully and with dignity carrying out this glorious mission.
This opinion was expressed by MP, Chairman of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Azerbaijan Sattar Mohbaliyev.
According to him, the Azerbaijani press has undergone a great development since its inception and has acted in the interests of the people and the state. The Akinchi newspaper, which was published in 56 issues, has played an exceptional and important role in the national awakening movement of the Azerbaijani people, strengthening unity and solidarity among the people, training a large army of intellectuals, and enlightening all segments of society. Prominent writers and intellectuals of the time tried to form a democratic spirit by publishing articles in this newspaper. Following the Akinchi newspaper, significant progress was made in the field of media. “The establishment of” Ziya “,” Kashkul “,” Kaspi “newspapers has opened a wide way for the promotion and recognition of scientists, literary figures, national and spiritual development, the formation of a democratic environment.”
“Especially in 1918, the press played an undeniable role in gaining independence and building a democratic republic. National-minded thinkers fighting in this way conveyed their ideas to the people through the press, calling them to freedom and independence. Molla Nasreddin’s deep ideas of democracy and freedom, as well as the tsar’s struggle against colonialism, ignorance, were very useful in the development of the national awakening movement. Thus, all media outlets operating from the “Akinchi” newspaper until the beginning of the 20th century fought for the emergence and development of national and public opinion, the idea of freedom in Azerbaijan. The propaganda bore fruit. “A republic with a long-awaited national spirit, a democratic nature and a people’s government has been established,” he said.
Mohbaliyev said that during the Soviet era, when the communist ideology dominated, the Azerbaijani press tried to preserve its national tradition despite pressure and repression: “The election of national leader Heydar Aliyev as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan gave a new impetus to media development. The number of newspapers published in the Azerbaijani language has increased. Articles about our national customs, history, culture and language, which have been banned for many years, began to appear in the press. In order to increase their professionalism, active students of the journalism faculty of the Azerbaijan State University were sent to study at other universities of the union. These services of the great leader played an important role in the training of highly qualified journalists and the development of modern journalism.
“Although the Azerbaijani press was subjected to pressure, censorship in the first years of independence, all this was eliminated shortly after the great leader Heydar Aliyev came to power. Like all freedoms required by democracy, freedom of speech and press were fully guaranteed in the country. Thus, the Azerbaijani press began to operate freely and freely. Censorship of the media in the country was abolished by the decree of President Heydar Aliyev dated August 6, 1998 “On additional measures to ensure freedom of speech, opinion and information in the Republic of Azerbaijan.” Thus, a new stage of rapid development of the media has begun, “the ATUC chairman said.
The MP stressed that today the progressive development of the media in Azerbaijan is fully ensured: “Currently, more than 5,000 media entities operate in our country. The Azerbaijani press has already become part of the global information network, the world’s leading media outlets refer to the country’s leading news agencies, exchange news, operate bureaus abroad, and hundreds of journalists participate in training courses with the support of international organizations. The introduction of victory exams in the entrance exams for the specialty of journalism in our country has led to an increase in the interest of creative people, pen owners in this specialty. This has led to more professional and professional staff being represented in the media.
“The development of the media, the improvement of the social conditions of journalists is always in the focus of President Ilham Aliyev. The provision of one-time assistance to the media, measures to strengthen the social protection of journalists, as well as orders on awarding honorary titles to members of the media for their services are a sign of care for the press and journalists. In addition, the construction of residential buildings for journalists on the basis of presidential decrees, providing them with housing demonstrates the state’s attention to this area. At various times, at the initiative of the country’s leadership, the print media was exempted from taxes, and the debts of newspapers and magazines to the publishing house were written off. All this is an example of support for the development of the media in our country, “he added.
“We also witnessed the honorable and patriotic service of the Azerbaijani media in the Great Patriotic War. Our media has been able to set an example to the world media with its ability to work in wartime and military situations. Also, thanks to the professionalism, dedication and agility of our journalists, it was possible to convey to the world community the real facts of the war, accurate and complete information about the war crimes committed by official Yerevan. During the Patriotic War, Azerbaijani journalists became a source of reference for the world media. All this ensured the victory of Azerbaijan in the information field, “Mohbaliyev said.