BAKU CONFERENCE ON SELF-REGULATION
“Increased media accountability, however, must be accompanied by the disengagement of government in regulating media,” he says, arguing that journalistic respect for ethics and tolerance does not need new legislation. Without the support of governments in allowing the media independence, Haraszti further explains, all efforts to promote media self-regulation in new democracies might be in vain. This is why the conference in Baku focused on helping new democracies develop self-regulation models that meet different challenges from those usually found in western European countries. The Azerbaijan Press Council Since its opening in 2003, the Azerbaijan Press Council has handled 746 public complaints. It has reached agreements in 301 cases, out of which 66 gave plaintiffs the right of reply. Most complaints dealt with attacks on honour and dignity, or damages to business reputation, and claimants could have initiated legal proceedings, as libel and defamation can be severely punished in the courts. “But by being quicker than lengthy court procedures, and by giving satisfactory moral redress,” says the OSCE Representative, “the Azerbaijan Press Council managed to prove its efficiency, and has become a real alternative to state regulation.” In discussing some cases submitted to the Press Council, international experts assessed the body’s current level of professionalism, while also pointing out the diversity of ethical standards. Despite visible good will, the Council also faces considerable challenges, one of which is the endorsement of ethical standards by many Azerbaijani journalists. Nonetheless, the main issue to be solved remains the body’s lack of independence from government influence.
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