Azerbaijan Media Defense Public Information Program

Program Overview

Media Sustainability Index (MSI) 2008 - Azerbaijan

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

IREX launched the Azerbaijan Media Defense Public Information Program in September 2008. The program is supported by a grant from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The project provides legal defense resources and training to Azerbaijan’s non-state media sector by working closely with indigenously Azerbaijani legal support, advocacy, and media organizations along with IREX/DC media development managers..

KEY ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES

IREX provides media defense resources and training to journalists and media outlet managers.

IREX provides information to Azerbaijan’s citizens by supporting journalism that encourages non-partisan investigative and political reporting on government harassment of non-state media.

Ensure that indigenous Azerbaijani institutions are able to support and defend media outlets and journalists.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Provide 20-50 independent journalists and media outlets with ready access to media defense resources.
Improve 20-50 media professionals’ legal literacy.
Provide legal counsel for at least 20 cases.
Produce at least 50 episodes of a radio program to be aired twice a day, about legal challenges to the media sector.

Program Contact: For more information about this or other IREX media initiatives e-mail media@irex.org.