Media

Media

Names of several more â€œracketeeringâ€ newspapers and magazines known in Azerbaijan

01 April 2009 13:56 (UTC +04:00)

Chief of Press Councilâ€™s commission to combat â€œracketeeringâ€ journalism Vugar Rahimzadeh told APA that information and documents about 30 media outlets, which actions cause complaints, were submitted to the Management Board of the council.

He said that the commission received more complaints from various offices, enterprises, organizations and citizens.
â€œSo far we have made remarks, gave recommendations and warned them. The introduction was based on disrespect for the specialty, characteristics, number of such actions, attitude towards the recommendations and remarks of the Press Council and other factors,â€ he said.

Rahimzadeh made clear some points in connection with â€œracketeeringâ€ newspapers and magazines.
â€œNo doubt, the newspapers â€œGanun ve gercheklikâ€, â€œRespublika ganunlariâ€, â€œDovlet ganunlariâ€ will be included into the list. Administrative bodies launched criminal case on these publications, because of blackmailing, demanding money by threatening. Other publications prefer another method of â€œracketeeringâ€. First they publish groundless articles, then send those publications to the related bodies and finally visit those places and make demands. The complaint of maternity hospital #5 about â€œDogma respublikaâ€ is about this,â€ he said.

Chief of the commission also spoke about other complaints.
â€œWe also receive complaints about newspapersâ€™ persistent requests in connection with financing. Such methods used by â€œAzerbaijan Parlamentâ€, â€œMufettishâ€ and â€œBizim kheberâ€ newspapers caused complaints. It raises concern that some publications fulfill the functions of real estate agent, mediator, inspector. The commission received a complaint about â€œMehkeme ve ganunâ€ newspaper. According to some complaints, the newspapers published once in two or three months prefer threatening announcements, texts. The commission considers it expedient to take measures about such newspapers,â€ he said. â€