The news agency Azertac was established in 1920 and operated under various names throughout the Soviet era. Currently, it offers news content in eight different languages.
Media assets
News agency: Azertac
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
According to journalists covering Azerbaijan interviewed for this report in March 2024, the government appoints Azertac’s management. The agency is state owned.
Source of funding and budget
The Azertac budget remains undisclosed due to the complete absence of transparency in the Azeri administration. Observers of Azerbaijan interviewed for this report in March 2024 suggest that the agency primarily relies on state subsidies for its funding.
Editorial independence
Azertac operates under a set of guidelines that mandate the dissemination of information about the government. Notably, there are no instances of authority criticism on Azertac’s news feed.
No domestic statute or independent assessment mechanism to validate Azertac’s editorial independence has been identified.
August 2024