Azerbaijan
Difficult professional and economic conditions, especially for print media, challenge the media sector in Azerbaijan. A variety of media organizations and media outlets exist, however only a few independent newspapers manage to publish newspapers of limited circulation. The national broadcast media are better developed, with more advertisement funds available as most Azeris rely on television for information and entertainment. IMS is working to support the media sector in Azerbaijan by strengthening the professionalism, as well as providing a platform for cross-sectoral media development.Archive
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- Azerbaijan: Business strategy development for local media
- Azerbaijani journalists to improve skills at the Guardian and BBC
- Improving skills of aspiring Azerbaijani photo journalists
- Azerbaijan's social media trainees ready to pass on new skills
- Hopes for a promising future for media in Azerbaijan
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- Strengthening community radio in Europe
- Bloggers’ Day at Azerbaijan Media Center
- Azerbaijani eyes on Swedish elections
- From Baku to Stockholm
- Azerbaijani journalists observe media and politics in Sweden
- On the way to Parliamentary Elections in Azerbaijan
- 135th anniversary of Azeri media
- First live Internet TV debate programme in South Caucasus
- Ethnic minority media in Azerbaijan
- Award-winning photographs on display at the Azerbaijan Media Center
- Young people in Azerbaijan call for space to develop
- A free space for journalists in Azerbaijan
- An eye-opener in Baku
- Climate change journalism in Azerbaijan
- Sharpening debating skills in Azerbaijan
- Azerbaijani government promises change for media
- New Frontier for Azerbaijani journalists
- Baku web journalism training, 17-28 August 2009
- Going online in Azerbaijan
- Surviving the Azerbaijani Army
- Pamphlet about the Azerbaijan Media Centre
- Azerbaijan Media Centre opens its doors
- Bringing the media sector together in Azerbaijan
- Polarized media in Azerbaijan
First live Internet TV debate programme in South Caucasus
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A new live Internet debate programme streamed weekly from the Azerbaijan Media Centre in Baku opens new avenues for freedom of speech in Azerbaijan
The programme "Menje" (translated "methinks") is organised by the IMS-supported Azerbaijan Media Centre (AMC) and supported by the Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation.
The aim of the programme is to provide a platform for debates about current issues as well as to hold discussions on topics that would bring improvements to the Azerbaijani society.
Starting in June, the programme has been streamed live through www.mediamerkez.az website every Thursday at 16:00 GMT + 4.
New frontiers for freedom of speech in Azerbaijan
Vugar Safarov, the project coordinator of "Menje" says that the programme opens new frontiers for freedom of speech in Azerbaijan.
"Our knowledge and skills regarding Internet and information technologies now allow us to produce online live programmes - in a time when interesting debates, discussions and talk shows are disappearing from TV screens."
The audience of this new programme consists of young, home-based Internet users, as well as Azerbaijanis living abroad, but Vugar Safarov says that there still huge problems.
"In provincial districts of Azerbaijan, there is almost no high-speed Internet. Telephone stations can let about 160 families have high-speed Internet and this is only in theory. Therefore, we don't have a big audience in the districts."
Still, regardless of any problems, "Menje" has touched on several interesting issues - social networking and career building, traffic police, floods in Kura River and democratisation in Azerbaijan.
Upcoming discussion topics
Upcoming issues will be discussions on the problem of illicit drugs, new media versus old media and other current topics.
Internet users watching "Menje" live can ask questions to the guests and publish their comments live. They can also suggest new guests and topics for future issues of "Menje."
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