Communist Media System in Azerbaijan

Communist Media System in Azerbaijan
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

Communist Media System in Azerbaijan
Communist theory of mass communication is the theory of press that applies to Azerbaijan. Under this theory, the state owns or control the most of the mass media. As a result, Azerbaijan ranks 5th among the ten most censored countries based on a list compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalist in 2018 (10 Most Censored Countries, 2018). The government ensures control of the press by owning both the major source of information and their proxies. Therefore, it is plausible to conclude that Azerbaijan operates under a communist media system.
The government controls all the broadcaster and signals from the international broadcasters are blocked. Most local print media are harassed by the government official especially when they publish anything that criticizes the basic ideology of the government. Deliberate bans, eviction, and even lawsuits are the main methods used to induce fear and intimidate the journalists in the country (10 Most Censored Countries, 2018). Azerbaijan is considered dangerous for journalists since most of them have been forced to flee to other countries. For example, Khadija Ismayilova who is an award-winning journalist was arrested and taken to jail in 2014. Over the years many journalists, as well as bloggers, have been arrested and prosecuted based on fabricated charges. Also, Emin Huseynov who was a director of the Institute for Reporter’s Freedom and Safety went in exile after authorities raided his office.

In conclusion, there is a big difference between the Azerbaijan press and the American press. In Azerbaijan, the press is owned by the state, and there is great scrutiny on online speech. Also, satellite signals from international broadcasters are not allowed in the country, and the criminal defamation law is used to intimidate the journalists. On the contrary, there is press freedom in the US and journalist have rights that protect them against any form of harassment or intimidation. Moreover, international media is allowed, and the online press is not subjected to censorship.
Reference
10 Most Censored Countries. (2018). Cpj.org. Retrieved 6 October 2018, from https://cpj.org/2015/04/10-most-censored-countries.php