Mətbuat Şurası Azərbaycanda, Azerbaijan Press Council
Aflatun Amashov (Chairman)
Azerbaijan, Baku.
Aliyev street 38
Tel:+99 412 541 59 49
Fax:+99 412 441 3530
Web: http://www.presscouncil.az/az/
Azerbaijan Press Council, is in charge of media self-regulation. The council was established March 15, 2003.
The purpose of the Press Councilis is to:
- enforce public oversight of the profession,
- strengthen the relationship between the goverenment and the media
- ensure freedom of the press
Updated: 04/03/2016
Mr Aflatun Amashov (Chairman)
Rahim Huseynzade (Executive Secretary)
Nizami Street 121/11
Baku
Azerbaijan
Tel: (994) 12 498 27 48; 499 02 92
Fax: (994) 12 498 27 48
Email: ruh@internews.az; info@azernet.az
Web: www.presscouncil.az
The Press Council of Azerbaijan was founded on March 15, 2003, at the first Congress of Journalists of the Azerbaijan Republic by 190 leading news agencies, newspapers, magazines and journalistic organizations of the country.
The Press Council aims at protecting freedom of the press, and also freedom of speech according to the standards of journalism. The Press Council also implements public control over respect of the Rules of the Professional Code of Journalists, strengthening of contacts and trust between the public, the state bodies and mass media.
To achieve its goals, the Council considers the complaints concerning printed mass media (newspapers, magazines and news agencies) registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Azerbaijan Republic (except complaints about advertising). In case of an infringement of the general principles of Professional Code, anyone can address the Press Council.
The Press Council is guided by the principle of granting equal opportunities both for the side of accusation, and for the side of protection. Unlike the investigative bodies, it considers references quickly and in informal manner. In case such an approach does not succeed, if the sides do not become reconciled, it launches a trial case.
The Council considers exclusively the complaints connected to concrete events and materials. It includes trial of only those that are in its direct competence (the cases connected with infringement of the rules of the Professional Code of journalists).
According to the By-Laws and Regulations, the Organization can consider also the cases and make conclusions on the basis of inquiries from courts of various instances. (The PC only in 2004 has adopted 53 decisions on 190 complaints towards the printed mass media, received from representatives of the public).
The Press Council of Azerbaijan has precisely outlined By-Laws and the organizational structures elected by the Congress. The supreme body is the Congress of Journalists, which forms the Board. Its Chairman elected for the period of two years heads the Council. Currently, he is Aflatun Amashov. The Board comprises 15 persons: 6 represent the interests of the public and 9 the interests of journalism. From both sides, there is one vice-chairman.
The Board not less often than once a month carries out sessions during which are considered the questions on the agenda. The Executive Secretary supervises over work of the executive staff of the Press Council. The Control-Revision Committee comprising 3 people elected at the Congress watches activity of the Press Council and reports at the Congress about its financial aspects.
The Regulations stipulate the existence of four commissions: the commissions on complaints, on language, the legal and standing commissions. All four are involved and make proposals on Board meeting of the Press Council. The decisions of the Board are adopted by a simple majority of votes.
The Commissions operate according to special Regulations about their activity. Thus,
- The Complaints Commission: comprises 7 people; considers complaints of public representatives, gives recommendation on solution of this or that disputed situation and submits them for consideration by the Board of the Council.
- The Commission on Language: comprises 9 people; deals with problems of language in modern mass media.
- The Legal Commission: comprises 5 people and is engaged in making of recommendations on the competency of this or that legal document developed and submitted for discussion.
- The Permanent Commission: comprises 7 people, representatives from the Press Council and law enforcement bodies. This Commission solves problems with wrongful detention and arrests of journalists operatively.
Also on the basis of the special regulations developed and approved by Congress since April 1, 2004, the delivery of single cards to the creative personnel of printed mass media was begun. The purpose of delivering such cards was necessitated by urgency to specify number of people professionally engaged in journalism.
Unfortunately, nowadays, in the country there are 60 thousand people with cards from 1756 registered printed mass media, and a majority of which do not function. A necessary condition is presence of personal contracts on employment between the employer and the employee.
According to the resolution of Congress, the Council started to give single tablets with the inscription "Press" to automobiles registered by mass media. The purpose is to prevent car inspectors, and also owners of other transport, from blocking professional use of these vehicles to zones of emergencies and to other places on orders of the editors. ??Detailed information on the Press Council of Azerbaijan is available on the press council's web sie.
Last Update - Aug 2006
