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It’s not clear whether the registry is mandatory or voluntary, but its very existence further erodes freedom of the press, they say, in what is already one of the world’s most repressive media environments.
In late January, a group of about 40 Azerbaijani journalists, media managers and lawyers issued a statement calling for the dissolution of the state media registry, which started operating in October under a law adopted in December 2021.
The law, whose stated aim is “the systematization of information,” calls for the registration of all Azerbaijani media outlets and all journalists as individuals. Certain criteria must be met as well: Journalists must have a higher education degree and possess a labor contract with their employer (a provision which could affect freelancers). And they must not be previously convicted of “grave crimes” or “crimes against public morality.”
Online outlets must be engaged in “constant activity,” which the law defines as “daily publication of at least 20 news for at least 20 days per month.” Their founders must be Azerbaijani citizens residing in the country permanently (many independent outlets are based abroad). And they must submit to the registry a list of their reporters, including their addresses and national ID numbers.
There is ambiguity around whether the registry is mandatory or voluntary. The law doesn’t use the word “mandatory” but it says that print and online media entities “must” apply for registration within six months after the establishment of the registry, which will fall on April 14, 2023.
On one hand, the Media Development Agency (Azerbaijani acronym MEDIA), the body overseeing the registry, says in the FAQ section of its website that applying for registration is voluntary: “Even without applying to the Media Registry, a person can carry out their journalistic activities without hindrance, using all the protection mechanisms defined by law.”
Yet on February 6, the executive director of MEDIA, Ahmad Ismayilov, said that his agency would hunt down media outlets not registered by the deadline and file suit against them in court. (The Riga-based independent media outlet Mikroskop reported that pro-government Trend.az originally attributed another sentence to Ismayilov’s quote – “And the court will rule that they must terminate their activities.” – but deleted it shortly afterwards.)
There are rewards dished out to those who register and problems faced by those who don’t.
The rewards come in the form of advertising orders by state agencies, free participation in state-sponsored training, and the provision of loans.
This naked attempt to co-opt would-be critical journalists is reminiscent of a state program introduced in 2013 to provide free apartments to journalists from both government-loyal and opposition-leaning outlets.
In the statement, the independent journalists reported that MEDIA has already refused to register more than 10 outlets which “have been operating for a long time, citing technical reasons.”
They elaborated on the consequences of failing to register.
“Currently, unregistered media and journalists are not even allowed to attend open sessions of the parliament, obstacles are created for journalists to carry out their professional activities in the regions of Azerbaijan,” they wrote.
Ulvi Hasanli, one of the signatories and executive director of the investigative outlet Abzas Media, told Eurasianet that he sees no point in attempting to register since “the law is just prohibitions from top to bottom.”
Abzas’ unregistered status has already hindered its work, though. Spokespeople of various state agencies refuse to talk to Abzas’ reporters or answer written inquiries, once they know that the outlet isn’t registered, he said.
Pro-government media, predictably, are supportive of the registry, and have launched a campaign against its opponents. In a piece titled “Fabrication of ‘free speech’ by those who don’t register,” news site Modern.az went so far as to suggest that signatories of the statement were working for Iran, where Azerbaijan’s embassy was attacked recently.
“For some reason, despite the fact that the main agenda item of the country is the terrorist attack in Iran and the rightful position of Azerbaijan, some secret hands reaching out to our country from abroad are busy confusing the situation by manipulating public opinion,” it read, going on to cite editors of several other pro-government news agencies attacking their colleagues for resisting registration.
The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe called for the law to be abolished in a report last June titled “Azerbaijan media law: overregulation in an already restrictive environment.” “The law attempts to regulate almost everything related to the media sector in Azerbaijan, including online media, and has a problematic focus on restricting the activities of the media rather than creating the necessary conditions enabling the media to fulfill their ‘public watchdog’ role,” the commission wrote.
The journalists who oppose the registry have started the hashtag #we_don’t_want_licensed_media on social media, and held their first public discussion on February 6.
“The law must be dismantled. Campaigns against the registry must continue. Having the law as it is now will create many problems for journalists, the government and society,” veteran journalist Arif Aliyev told the event.
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‘This year will be the first time that we’ll see a global ad spend of over a trillion’ U.S. dollars, says Charles Etienne Morier
Published Apr 23, 2024 • Last updated 26 minutes ago • 5 minute read
Like their partners in the Canadian news industry, the country’s media agencies are undergoing unprecedented transformation. The National Post is holding conversations with leaders of Canada’s largest agencies on the fast-changing fundamentals. This week, Charles Etienne Morier, chief operating officer of Touché! & Omnicom Media Group Montreal, speaks to writer Rebecca Harris.
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It has dramatically changed with technological advancement and shifts in consumer behaviour. Now, more than 80% of digital ad spend is transacted through digital buying platforms, so it has become increasingly important for our workforce to have a good understanding of the algorithms and how to maximize them.
The process has changed also. It’s no longer about creating a 30-second spot and then selecting a media channel to distribute the message. We start with the audiences, the channels where we need to reach them, and then tailor a message that will be appealing. And so, we need to work even more closely with our creative partners.
And we think 2024 will change even more. It’s going to be an inflection point despite all the changes we have gone through over the last three years. This year will be the first time that we’ll see a global ad spend of over a trillion (U.S. dollars). It shows the responsibility that we have as advertisers and agencies to spend that money wisely and ensure we make every ad dollar count, and that we are engaging consumers in a way that speaks to them in an age where there’s a lot of uncertainty about how they share their data and private information.
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The team now needs to be proficient in so many areas. We used to have strategy, media buying and planning, and optimization and reporting. Now, we need to be able to help our clients navigate within this complex digital ecosystem with clean rooms (environments where brands, publishers and advertisers share data), the deprecation of cookies, and dynamic creative optimization. Our agency has changed dramatically in the sense that we offer much more depth in our services now. So, our leaders need to be proficient in being able to discuss those subjects with clients. We have a strong learning system in place and it’s part of our value, to make sure that our teams stay curious because it’s changing so much by the day.
Brands that are breaking through are able to prioritize authenticity, relevance and creativity in their messaging and their approach to media. Consumers are bombarded with messages every day and there’s ad blocking, so we have to find new ways of capturing consumer attention… We need to make ads relevant to consumers and bring more value into their lives. And leverage the data we have at our disposal to tailor the message to specific audience segments and engage the consumer in multiple touchpoints.
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We’ve been working for almost two years on educating our clients, making sure that they are prepared. So, we are doing assessments to make sure we have everything in place to prepare for the impact of the deprecation of cookies. It will change a lot for measurement because we will not be able to measure the same things the same way. We will not be able to target in the same way. But I see it as an opportunity somewhat, to be able to come back to (advertising) that is more creative and more around content and context… and more in relation to targeting the right people in the right moment instead of relying too much on the data.
Retail media (platforms that allow retailers to sell ads to brands) will be expanding. Now, the stat is one in five dollars will be spent in retail media globally and 20 per cent of the commerce ecosystem will be done online. So, it’s going to be more important to have a strong omnichannel approach and deliver a positive consumer experience.
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There’s also social commerce… There are so many influencers – there are 50 million creators globally. So how, as an agency, we’re able to harness that and power that at scale is crucial, and how we can partner with creators effectively. It’s changing a lot in media planning on that front. There is a real shift from curation to generation of content.
Television as well is changing a lot, from linear to connected TV. There is a streaming war at the moment, so we need to create new standards, overcome walled gardens (where the platform provider controls the content and data) and figure out measurement.
And obviously automation will play a bigger role. The way I see it is (artificial intelligence) will bring more value to what we do to bring smarter, faster and more effective work. For me, it’s not just about AI itself. It’s more about connected intelligence with the human at the centre of it. So, it’s how we can use the tool to amplify what we are doing.
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A 13-year-old western Quebec boy accused of harassing and threatening another child online is facing four charges and conditions restricting his internet activity.
In a news release issued Friday, police in the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais said the alleged victim’s parent filed a complaint after being “subjected to the suspect’s wrath for several months.”
Police said they went to the accused’s home on Sunday to arrest him, but had to return with a warrant the following day after his parents initially refused to co-operate.
The 13-year-old was arrested Monday evening and detained. He was formally charged on Tuesday with criminal harassment, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, distributing child pornography and unauthorized possession of an unspecified restricted weapon.
Among his release conditions, the boy can’t access social media and can’t use the internet without adult supervision.
Police didn’t offer details about the alleged threats or where the youth lives. The municipality includes the communities of Chelsea, Quyon, Val-des-Monts and Wakefield.
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