The government directly owns three periodical media, namely Azerbaijan (Azerbaycan in Azeri), Khalg Gazeti and Respublika, and the Russian-language Bakinskiy Rabochiy.
Media assets
Publishing: Azerbaijan, Khalg Gazeti, Respublika, Bakinskiy Rabochiy
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
Azerbaijan is a journal run by the National Assembly of Azerbaijan whereas Khalg Gazeti and Respublika were founded by the Presidential Administration, according to the latest data possessed by journalists who follow Azerbaijan. The Presidential Administration also runs Bakinskiy Rabochiy.
Source of funding and budget
Due to the total lack of transparency in the Azeri administration, it’s not clear how much funding these news outlets receive from the government. Journalists following Azerbaijan say that the outlets generate some financing from ad sales, but most of their funding, more than 50% of their total expenditure, comes from government subsidies.
Editorial independence
The state press Azerbaijan, Khalg Gazeti, Respublika and Bakinskiy Rabochiy are all openly supportive of the president Aliyev and closely aligned with the government’s agenda, according to Azeri journalists and experts.
No domestic statute or independent assessment/oversight mechanism to validate the independence of Azerbaijan, Khalg Gazeti, Respublika and Bakinskiy Rabochiy have been identified.
September 2023