Azerbaijan marks 143rd anniversary of national press

  22 July 2018    Read: 4006
Azerbaijan marks 143rd anniversary of national press

The 22nd of July is celebrated as the Day of National Press in Azerbaijan as the nation’s first newspaper “Ekinchi” was founded by Hasan bey Zardabi on 22 July 1991.

 

Although it published only 56 issues from 22 July 1875 to September 1877, the newspaper played an exceptional role in the establishment and development of Azerbaijan’s national press. Mostly informative by nature, “Ekinchi” gained quick prominence among both intellectuals and ordinary people. It is no surprise that intellectuals and writers of the time would cooperate with the newspaper and write articles on a frequent basis. However, the newspaper did not last long. Tsarist Russia began to be worried by the newspaper’s role in raising awareness among people of the public and political processes and eventually suspended the newspaper.  

Having experienced periods of downfall and renaissance since then, Azerbaijani press have always played the role of a mirror reflecting the public view of what has happened.  And the abolition of censorship in 1998 gave considerable impetus to the development of Azerbaijani press.

Today, there are a number of media outlets in the republic, including a number of different newspapers and magazines, as well as Internet-newspapers, which are developing now. The development of information technology turned Azerbaijani press into a part of global information network. The process of globalization in the world did not step aside the newspapers as well. Today hundreds of journalists are attending trainings and internships sponsored by international organizations for improving their professional skills.

The Azerbaijan Press Council prevented scattered publications and published Professional Code of Journalists, which had a positive impact on solution of problems between the media organizations. Description of freedom of press and expression as a basic principle in the Constitution of Azerbaijan promoted the formation of media as a free and strong institution of the society. Azerbaijani journalists became active participants of these processes.

It should be recalled that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attended a ceremony on July 20, 2017 to give out apartments to 255 journalists as the second residential building for media workers was inaugurated on the occasion of the Day of the National Press.

Later, the president took part in a groundbreaking ceremony of the third residential building for media workers.

On the occasion of the Day of National Press, AzVision.az staff congratulates all journalists in Azerbaijan and wish success in their activities.   


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