National Press Day is being celebrated in Azerbaijan which was established 149 years ago - on July 22, 1875. The foundation of Azerbaijan's national press was laid by Hasan Bey Zardabi, one of the prominent representatives of the enlightenment movement of his time, who started publishing the "Akinchi" newspaper.
"Akinchi" laid the first foundation stone of a real national democratic and popular press in the Azerbaijani language. The newspaper, with only 56 issues, was the mirror of the nation and became the flag bearer of Azerbaijani journalism.
In the following years, newspapers and magazines such as "Ziya", "Kashkül", "Sharqi-rus", "Irshad", "Molla Nasreddin" published by prominent intellectuals continued the traditions of "Akinchi". The main goal of these press organizations was to fight against ignorance, injustice, and education. Azerbaijan's press, walking on a rich and honorable path, has passed through several stages. During the period of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADP), the foundation of a free press, as well as a new perspective on events, was laid.
The next stage covers the period after the occupation of the Azerbaijan Republic by the Bolsheviks. 70 years of the 149-year-old press are related to this period of communist dictatorship. At that time, the Azerbaijani press wrote about the current problems mostly in the underlying sense. Because the press was the mouthpiece of the politics and ideology of the USSR. At that time, it was forbidden to think and write differently.
Starting from the second half of the 1990s, the Azerbaijani press entered a new stage of development. This stage is also the period of Azerbaijan's statehood and democratic state-building. The Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, who laid the foundation of this new period of development, always highly appreciated the impact of the press on society, and implemented consistent measures to strengthen the material and technical base of the media and freedom of speech. Heydar Aliyev also signed the first decree on the press of Azerbaijan during the period of independence.
In total, the Great Leader signed more than 10 orders and decrees related to solving the problems of the press. In 1999, the law "On Mass Media" meeting international requirements was adopted. By the decree of Heydar Aliyev dated August 6, 1998, censorship was abolished in Azerbaijan.
The country has the highest level of attention and care for freedom of speech and press, mass media. President Ilham Aliyev signed important decrees in order to develop free media, strengthen the material and technical base of the press, and improve the socio-economic condition of journalists.
In the 44-day Patriotic War, which began on September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan won victory in the information war as well as on the battlefield. The circles that regularly conduct a black campaign against our country did not stop their dirty deeds during this period. But despite this, the advantage in the information war was on the side of Azerbaijan, which liberated its historical lands from occupation and fought for truth and justice.
