The mission of the Media Program is to help establish the independent media community to meet the contemporary requirements of information exchange and media coverage of society development challenges.

Content

1. Needs Assessment
   1. The recent Media situation
   2. Active media organizations and partners
   3. Program development in 1999-2001
2. Outlines of Media program strategy of OSI-AF in 2002
   1. Support of free media market
   2. Legal protection and Defense of Journalists
   3. Preparation for law reforms and legal education
   4. Professional and other training

     B. Outlines of Media program strategy of OSI-AF in 2002.
     The current situation implies the following three priorities of the OSI-AF media program.

     1. Support of free media market:
     Newsprint purchase. The most efficient way to support the survival efforts of the main newspapers would be, as pointed out by them, a purchase of newsprint. This would allow the independent papers to bridge the irregular inflow of advertising revenues, to cover delayed salaries for the employees, etc. Six newspapers in question - Echo, Zerkalo, Yeni Musavat, 525, Azadliq and Bu Gun have worked out a plan on how to import the newsprint at a reduced price as well as how to distribute the newsprint among them. They are also willing to contribute smaller amounts of their own money to the funds provided with the grant. It is supposed that this initiative will start in 2001 with the essential support of OSI then gradually replaced by other sources, including the growing contribution of the newspapers themselves.
     Wire services, Internet access, web sites. The access to information is a general problem affecting the quality of journalism and quantity of information available through the newspapers. While the official sources of information will remain inaccessible to the independent newspapers for now, wire services could help to fill a gap, at least in the quantity of information available for newspapers' use. For many, the cost of subscriptions to such services on a continual basis has been prohibitive. Additionally, increased Internet access would give them more opportunity to use the information offered on-line. Creation of web sites with possible translation into some foreign languages could also extend the possibility for the audience abroad to get more information on the country's current developments. OSI-AF can consult on technical details of the project design. The possible implementers of web design and IT services could be the local IT companies.

     2. Legal protection and Defense of Journalists.
     A number of court cases, legal threats, administrative constraints, etc. indicate the political background of using legally disposable means in order to tackle any open criticism towards the government and, often in the final instance, to force the independent media to a closure. There have been and increasing number of reactions by the local media and NGO community to these measures and a lot of joint actions undertaken in recent times that have brought this problem to the public knowledge. The support to those organizations that concentrate their efforts on media freedom protection should be continued and their joint actions stimulated.
     Legal defense fund - to be established. The idea is already there in the journalist community, only the ways to develop fair mechanism in distribution of those funds has been an issue for debate. Both Council of Editors and Yeni Nesil were interested in implementing this initiative. The Journalists Unions could also be involved.
     Links with the international NGO community, campaigns and observation missions - the local efforts should be supported by the international NGOs active in protection of freedom of expression. OSI-AF shall rely on Network Media Program to work with respectable international organizations with the intention to increase and broaden their presence in Azerbaijan (IWPR, NED, Article 19). Occasional observation of key court cases that could include various organizations' support would be very useful.

     3. Preparation for law reforms and legal education.
     The admission of Azerbaijan to the CoE will open up a whole range of issues related to changes of media related legislation and their harmonization with the European standards. Even if the reforms will require a longer period of time with possible obstacles on side of the Azerbaijani government, the media and NGO community is aware of the fact that the membership in CoE could provide them a frame to influence and push for those changes. Various assistance in obtaining better knowledge about the work of CoE, the standards applied in the modern European legislation and more insight into the work of the European Court on Human Rights is needed.