People have always been hungry for information. They tell each other what they have seen and heard, so any news travels fast. Heralds, merchants, travellers, messengers and even pigeons have been used for information transmission for thousands of years.

The dissemination of information, as well as the growing interest in it, led to the creation of information boards made of plaster. Such boards were made in ancient Rome at the behest of Julius Caesar. The Acta diurna (also called Acta populi, or Acta publica), said to date from before 59 BCE, recorded official business and matters of public interest. The Acta were drawn up from day to day, and exposed in a public place on a whitened board called an Album. It constituted a type of daily gazette, and thus it was, in a sense, the prototype of the modern newspaper, which was even copied, so we can speak of its circulation. It should also be noted that these compilations, which were the forerunners of modern newspapers, were published at a rapid pace. The people who collected materials for the “Acta diurna”, the forerunners of modern newspapers, were called “diurnalists”. Hence the etymology of the word “journalist”. In A.D. 15, the Acta diurna was banned for criticising the emperor. This was the first banning of a periodical in the history of world journalism and one of the first manifestations of censorship in the world.

Information centres were also established in Europe at the beginning of the Renaissance. During this period, handwritten newspapers dedicated to trade included other information. The word “gazette” (newspaper) also appeared during this period. The name was taken from the currency used in Venice. In the 1600s, there was a Venetian news sheet that became known as a gazeta because it cost a gazeta, a small-valued Venetian coin.

At the end of the fifteenth century, the beginning of the sixteenth century, a post office was established. Franz von Taxis was considered the inventor of the first regular Post Office, which from time to time linked Nuremberg and Venice. This post office was also called the “posta taxis” or “taxis”.

In 1445, the printing press invented by the German scientist Johannes Gutenberg contributed to the development of civilisation in Europe. This new invention led to the emergence of printing presses. In Europe, in 1500, there were published 30.000 books, in 1600 – 285.000 and in 1700 – 500.000.

As early as the beginning of the seventeenth century, a periodical press was established in a number of European cities. The first journal in Europe was the Journal des Savants (Journal for Scholars). Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Minister of Finance of France, was the founder of the journal, which operated from 1665-1828.

In 1689, the British Parliament passed the Bill of Rights (an Act declaring the rights and freedoms of the subject and establishing the Crown inheritance). The Act (Bill) laid the foundation for the concept of freedom of the press. It meant that only Parliament could regulate the press, control of the government and the church was abolished, and anyone who had economic freedom could publish a newspaper.

The twentieth century has played a crucial role in the protection of human rights and the development of democracy. The UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the Charter of Freedom of the Press (1987), the Johannesburg Principles (1995), the Sofia Declaration on Strengthening Independent and Pluralistic Media (1997) and others put forward the idea that “press freedom ensures the freedom of the people”.

Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration.

Formation of freedom of speech and independent press in our country is closely linked to the name of our national leader Heydar Aliyev. Heydar Aliyev, in the first period of his leadership in Azerbaijan, implemented consistent programmes to develop the Azerbaijani press, as well as other important spheres of society. The material and technical basis of the mass media was improved. The building of “Azerbaijan” publishing house, which was built and commissioned in the 70s of the last century, was a demonstration of the attention and care the great leader was giving to our national press in the Soviet times.

Article 50 of the first Constitution of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan, drafted under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev, enshrines the right of citizens to freedom of speech, to gather information and to express their opinions. Freedom of mass information is based on guaranteeing by the state the right of citizens to search, obtaining, preparation, transfer, production and distribution of information in the legal way. According to Article 1 of the Mass Media Act of the Republic of Azerbaijan, mass information in the Azerbaijan Republic is free.

President Heydar Aliyev’s 6 August 1998 decree on additional measures to guarantee freedom of speech, thought and information in the Republic of Azerbaijan created favourable conditions for freedom of speech, opinion and the press in our country; censorship was abolished and State control over the press was ended. The Mass Media Act, adopted on 7 December 1999, has become the main legal instrument regulating activity in this area. Freedom of speech, opinion and the press have been enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s accession to the Council of Europe as a full member in January 2001 was another important step in the development of our national press. In accordance with the commitments undertaken before the Council of Europe, the additions and amendments made to the Law on Mass Media have greatly simplified the formation of the media and the possibility of using it. On 15 March 2003, the First Congress of Journalists of Azerbaijan established the Press Council.

Today, the progressive policy laid down by the national leader is being successfully continued by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev. The order of the President of Azerbaijan dated May 31, 2005 on celebration of the 130th anniversary of our national press is a vivid example of the attention and care in this field. In order to develop the independence of the media and to regulate the relations between the press and the state, on August 31, 2008, the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed an order on approval of the “Concept of state support to the development of mass media in the Republic of Azerbaijan”. The decree on the establishment of the State Support Fund for Mass Media under the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, signed by the head of State on 3 April 2009, is one of the progressive steps taken in this area. At the same time, on June 22, 2010, the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a decree “on social protection of the press employees of Azerbaijan”. The decree “On improvement in the activities of the Azerbaijan State News Agency (AzerTaj)”, signed by the head of state on April 22, 2010, is an example of the high appreciation of the press in delivering objective information about Azerbaijan to the international public. A presidential decree established the Supervisory Board of the State Fund for the Support of Mass Media Development under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Council is composed of 9 members, three of whom represent media outlets, three journalists’ organizations and three representatives of relevant state bodies. The Fund contributes to strengthening the material and technical base of the media and improving the social status of journalists.

Our journalists, working hard to meet society’s need for information, contribute to the protection and promotion of the socio-economic and socio-cultural life of our country and our national and moral values. The national leader said: “The press is a powerful tool that deepens democracy and promotes political development. It must be a mirror of life, a harbinger of truth, calling and mobilizing people to fight for lofty ideals.”

Recommended literature:

1. Rüstəmov, Akif Rüstəm oğlu. Jurnalistikanın əsasları / A. R. Rüstəmov ; elmi red. N. A. Əhmədli. - Bakı : AzTU-nun nəşri, 2011. - 350 s.
2. "Azərbaycanda söz və mətbuat azadlığı yerli və beynəlxalq qanunlar kontekstində" : Bakıda keçirilən Beynəlxalq konfransın materialları: 19-20 noyabr, 2007-ci il / Söz Azadlığını Müdafiə Fondu. - Bakı : [n. y.], 2007. - 191 s.
3. Yusifov, Tofiq. Açıq cəmiyyət və mətbuat / T. Yusifov ; ön sözün müəl. Q. M. Məhərrəmli ; red. Ə. Yusifzadə. - Bakı : Apostrof, 2012. - 220 s.
4. Mətbuat tarixi və publisistika məsələləri / İ. Ə. Həbibbəyli [et al.] ; tərt. A. H. Rüstəmli ; elmi red. İ. Ə. Həbibbəyli. - Bakı : Ozan, 2016. - 184 s.
5. Rəhimzadə, Vüqar Gəncəli oğlu. Söz və mətbuat azadlığı demokratik inkişafın əsası kimi : Azərbaycan təcrübəsi: monoqrafiya / V. G. Rəhimzadə. - Bakı : Mars-Print NPF, 2016. - 304 s.