Pre-election period is ussually observed as full of all kinds of PR doings with the main purpose to make voters attend the election centres and give their voices for certain candidates. But, very often it is a reverse, i.e., a voter intends to give his voice for the person “poured mud on.” Now a number of governmental and independent mass media of Azerbaijan instead of airing advantages or shortconing of political opponents, in compliance with the legistlation, for TV watchers and readers, “pour dirty muds” paying no attention to consequences.
We should note that the Press Council and National Council on TV and Radio Broadcast have already started monitoring of mass media as they intend to observe the covering of newspapers, radio brodcasts, TV programs, news agencies; if the sources of information operate in compliance with the election legislation and code of professional conduct of journalists. Experts consider that “black PR” is mainly connected with mass media’s being politicized. Many printing media operate in favor of different political organizations and funded by them.
Consequently, we should look for the roots of the problem in financial dependency of the printing mass media. I do not know how the results of the monitoring will contribute to partial settlement of such problem as “black PRو” but it is clear that after all, we, common voters, will lose. The worst of similar campaigns is in voters’ confusion, he/she neither knows whom to give his/her voice for, nor whom to trust in…

Lala Gafarli